✨ Light the World

#LightTheWorld is an invitation to transform Christmas into a season of service. It’s a worldwide movement to touch hearts and change lives by doing the things Jesus did: feeding the hungry, comforting the lonely, visiting the sick and afflicted, and showing kindness to everyone. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).

We invite you to #lightheworld in your own way!

Over this Christmas season, look for ways to help others feel Christ’s love through service.

Here are 25 ideas to get you started (You might find a few things on this list that you can add to your own ideas!):

  1. Laugh with a friend.
  2. Call someone you miss.
  3. Carry an extra snack for someone in need.
  4. Make a homemade Christmas card for a friend.
  5. Plan some one-on-one time with a loved one.
  6. Let a stranger go ahead of you in line.
  7. Learn to say “Merry Christmas” in a new language.
  8. On social media, share a link to a Christmas song that you love.
  9. Apologize to someone.
  10. Complete an item on a loved one’s to-do list.
  11. Send a thank-you note to a healthcare worker.
  12. Help someone research their family genealogy.
  13. Text a photo of a fond memory to a family member.
  14. Give your neighbour a compliment.
  15. Let someone else be kind to you.
  16. Learn how another culture celebrates Christmas.
  17. Help a loved one clean their home.
  18. Invite others to a Christmas celebration.
  19. Leave a gift on a neighbor’s doorstep.
  20. Watch The Christ Child with family or friends.
  21. Make a meal with a family member.
  22. Invite a neighbor to a worship service.
  23. Visit with an elderly neighbor.
  24. Offer to teach someone a new skill.
  25. Forgive someone.

Read more. . .

2024

Christmas Party for 200 Children in Need

On the 16 December 2024, Reconciliation Day, we joined with the Mayor of Stellenbosch and The Shumeez Scott Foundation (SSF) to host a Christmas Party for kids in the Cloetesville Area. Cloetesville is unfortunately home to gang violence, drug addiction and various other social issues and we aimed to give the kids just one day to be children.

After weeks of meetings and planning, everything came together on the day. The children enjoyed a fun day which started with a prayer to bless the event and invite the Christmas spirit. After which, they had a few snacks and played some group games. They were then treated to a delicious lunch and singing by the beautiful Sister Adina Nakana. The day ended with an all important visit from Father Christmas/Kersvader and distribution of gift buckets put together by our Stake including treats, stationery, games and toys! The joy on the children’s faces as they left to go home was worth every minute spend on this event. At the end of the event, the Mayor shared his appreciation for our efforts – members of our Stake really put their all in to make this a successful event. We are so grateful for the work that the Mayor and his team do!

We had a few stationery sets left over from this event. In January, the left-over stationery sets were distributed to the children in the area by the Mayor and his team.


2023

Hilltoppers Seniors Club Westlake

On Saturday, 9 December 2023, Around 45 members of The Cape Town Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered together to host a Christmas Party for The Hilltoppers Seniors Club Westlake at the Westlake United Church Trust as part of our #lighttheworld project. Members served the Seniors delicious refreshments while entertaining them with a Beautiful Christmas Music concert. Members also packed and distributed “buckets of joy” containing a selection of food items for the seniors to take home.

We are grateful to Portia, who runs the group, for allowing us to come through and share this time with the Seniors. She is making such a difference in the lives of the Seniors, and she encourages the community to look after them, and treat them as they would like to be treated. We are also grateful to Checkers, Sun Valley, for assisting us in acquiring all the items we needed for our food buckets and platters, and for taking such care in packing and preparing the items. Our thanks goes to Mambos Tokai for helping us acquire the perfect size buckets, Yes! Digital Printing for taking care of our printing requirements and the Woolcrate in Fish Hoek for organising our wool order so that we could knit/crochet scarves and beanies for the seniors.

The Bhongulethu Foundation

On Saturday, 2 December 2023, Around 50 members of The Cape Town Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered together to paint the classrooms at the Bhongulethu Foundation in Masiphumelele as part of our #lighttheworld project. There was great excitement and joy as church members went from classroom to classroom cleaning, preparing and painting each room. We are grateful to the foundation and teachers for all their assistance and for allowing us to serve them. We are grateful to Mica Hardware for assisting us in obtaining a high quality, washable paint and for ensuring that we had all our paint supplies in time.

The Bhongulethu Foundation is a NPO that helps make education possible for the children of Masiphumelele and seeks to support children through mentoring and other activities/programs. They offer a safe place of instruction for their learners that protects both their physical and emotional welfare. We are so glad that we could assist them in their efforts to lift and serve their community.


2022

In 2022 we continued our #LightTheWorld projects by helping children in need. Jesus Christ loved and cared for children. In Mark, we read:

13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said:

“We can all remember our feelings when a little child cried out and reached up to us for help. A loving Heavenly Father gives us those feelings to impel us to help His children. Please recall those feelings as I speak about our responsibility to protect and act for the well-being of children.”

(https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/…/protect-the…)

Comfort Packs for Children in Crisis

We prepared Comfort Packs for children in need. We worked with Mosaic (Training, Service and Healing Centre – combating Abuse and GBV) – a community-based NGO. We collected and donated the items listed on the poster below. We also donated our time sorting and packing Comfort Packs in December. Those that couldn’t do either we asked to please love their children in their homes and communities. There is always something we can do even amidst our trials, and the Lord will bless us in our efforts. President Nelson said “The Lord loves effort” and the Lord loves you!


2021

In 2021, we worked with Gift of the Givers and donated Christmas food packs, as well as clothes and toiletries to those in need in the community of Delft.