Light the World

We're trying to do our best to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, and to "Light the World" during this Christmas season when hearts turn toward the Savior and there's a greater desire to love one another and give more than tangible gifts through acts of service and charity. We volunteered to assist with the "Giving Machine" at the Windward Mall, which is only a couple of blocks from our apartment. The Giving Machine is a large vending machine that, instead in dispensing snacks and soda, gives people the opportunity to donate to a variety of charities and causes based here in Hawaii, including Project Vision, Aloha Harvest, US Vets, Catholic Charities, and the Hui Mahi'ai Aina shelter in Waimanalo we've mentioned several times before. There are many different things people can "buy" to donate, such as school supplies, clothing, bedding and various amounts of food, even including a goat and chickens! Sister Mundell proved to be a natural saleswoman, because she was able to convince dozens of passing shoppers to donate "just a dollar" for two pounds of healthy food. Most of these donations were cash and the machine accepts only credit cards, so we totaled up the cash and made the donations using our credit card, which probably is frowned upon, but it was clearly the best way for us to encourage mall goers to open their hearts and wallets to others and "Light the World". 

The Giving Machine, of the Light the World initiative

Our visits this week gave the less fortunate individuals we meet on a regular basis the opportunity to do some festive Christmas crafts, in particular wreaths made out of paper plates, wrapping paper, stickers and cards. It is a really fun activity and we got to see many creative ways to decorate their paper plate wreaths. 

We were invited to participate in the last seminary class of the semester. We read and discussed scriptures that describe the Light of Christ in Doctrine and Covenants section 88. The students also had activities that helped them learn more about the Gifts of the Spirit and how they can utilize them in their own lives each day. We are so excited to be serving as seminary teachers, and our goal during the Christmas school break is to meet each one of our students and their parents individually, so that we can get to know them and they can feel comfortable around us. Our status as "out of unit" members of the stake is making it very difficult to get access to all the teaching and training materials we need, but we have great faith that everything will work out and we'll be very successful in our new assignment as seminary instructors. 

Giant Christmas tree at Castle Hospital in Olomana