“Light the World with Love” is Shared Globally

The Light the World Giving Machines have returned to encourage everyone to help those in need. Between November 3 and November 30, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints placed Giving Machines in 10 cities across the United States, allowing people to donate to dozens of local and global charity organizations.

Each Giving Machine includes items such as food, clean water, health care services, shelter, bedding, skills training and educational supplies. So far in 2021, approximately 265,000 people have interacted with the machines, and donations total over 3.7 million dollars to date. All donated funds go directly to each participating charitable organization. Some of the items purchased (as of December 21, 2021) include:

· Chickens – 52,000

· Beehives – 2,500

· Goats – 3,600

· Meals for Individuals and Families – 992,000

· Polio Vaccines and Other Immunizations for Children – 529,000

· Acre of Sweet Potatoes – 300

· Clothing and Shoes for Individuals – 13,000

· Shelter and Beds – 4,900

· Personal Care/Hygiene Kits – 15,000

· Educational Materials/Services – 16,000

· Water Pumps – 1,800

· Install a Well – 800

· Rainwater Storage Tanks – 1,600

· Healthcare, Eyecare, Dental and Counseling Services – 6,700

· Boxes of Produce – 9,000

The Light the World Giving Machines will remain in operation through January 2, 2022.

In addition to the machines, the “Light the World with Love” initiative invites everyone in the world to reach out and serve others. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been working with neighbors and civic leaders to find the most meaningful ways to serve their communities across the globe. Here are some examples:

California:

For the second year in a row, the Light the World themed boat won the "Best Music" award in the Newport Beach California Christmas Boat Parade. Members of the church volunteered their talents to create a staged nativity scene on a 60-foot yacht.

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Latin America:

Throughout Latin America, Latter-day Saints, including missionaries along with civic leaders and neighbors, are participating in the “Light the World with Love” initiative by rendering service in their communities.

In Lima, Peru, volunteers from the Church’s Helping Hands came together with residents to complete a day of service for the community in the park and main avenues of the Bella Aurora settlement in the Puente Piedra district and in the Los Rosales sector of the Ancón district.

In Guatemala City, Guatemala members carried out different service activities such as painting buildings and facades, green area renovations and blood donations.

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In Chiclayo, Peru, members of the Church came together with brooms, shovels and paint and headed for the Park of the Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre Population Center with the focus of beautifying the area.

In Piura, Peru, a Christmas light walk was set up for visitors, complete with a choir of Latter-day Saint missionaries inviting people to “Light the World.”

In Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a children’s choir shared their talents with workers at the Tegucigalpa City Temple, proving that, to Light the World, there is no age limit.

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In San Salvador, El Salvador, the San Salvador Regional Choir and Orchestra of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered for the third consecutive year to perform Christmas carols to celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Africa:

During the month of December, events throughout much of the continent have been held to encourage people to “Light the World with Love.” Whether it was the donation of food packs for elderly men and women in Benin City, Nigeria, or missionaries in the Ghana MTC coming together to donate food for residents in Accra, Ghana, African visitors and residents have been serving in abundance.

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In Jubilee Park in Kumasi, Ghana, more than 600 people came together to help families in need in West Africa. And in Sierra Leone, the Church coordinated with the Ministry of Social Welfare and gave donations to support 100 underprivileged orphans to the Seattle Orphanage Home and the Blind School in Makeni.

Pacific:

In Papua, New Guinea, journalists met with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ to discuss humanitarian efforts, temples and self-reliance. The Light the World with Love initiative was part of that discussion, including its promotion on television, radio, newspapers and social media.

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Philippines:

The annual temple lighting ceremony at the Manila Philippines Temple was attended by prominent government and faith leaders and regional Church leadership on November 27.

Speakers related the illumination of the decorative lights to the hope and love the Savior brings the world and what the “Light the World with Love” initiative strives to remind us of. This is the second year that the lighting has been held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Prerecorded messages and musical numbers were also featured during the program, including Mikee Misalucha’s “Light of the World” and special messages from government officials and interfaith representatives all over the country.

The Metro Manila public transportation system is also participating in “Light the World with Love.” The organization is providing free rides for commuters between select locations on busses wrapped in “Light the World with Love” signs through the end of the year.

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United Kingdom:

The official opening of the International Nativity Exhibit, “Hope was Born,” at the Church’s Hyde Park Chapel in London was celebrated on December 2 with a reception and musical program. More than 100 ambassadors, high commissioners and deputies along with additional government and faith leaders attended. The exhibit includes 44 nativity sets and artwork lent by embassies and high commissions in London, as well as by local Church members.

Europe:

An interfaith Christmas concert was held in Rome, Italy, and broadcast at Copenhagen’s historic Church of Our Lady. The concert brought people of all faith’s together to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ through hymns such as “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel” and “Away in a Manger.” This concert was held as a part of the global “Light the World with Love” initiative.

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Visit LightTheWorld.org to learn more about this year’s “Light the World” initiative and celebrate the joy, love and service that come from the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.