Nearly 1,400 needy families and individuals in Takoradi and the Madina district of Accra received an early Christmas gift through the Light the World (LTW) campaign in Ghana held December 3-5, 2024. Bags of food, including essentials like rice, oil, gari, and beans among other items, were distributed following programs that featured talks and cultural performances.
Missionaries help food recipients transport their bags in Takoradi on 2 December 2024.
Missionaries help food recipients transport their bags in Takoradi on 3 December 2024.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Local leaders including mayors and community council members, religious leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities, traditional chiefs, and others were given the opportunity to identify needy members of their communities. Specifically targeted were widows, the elderly, the disabled, and others who truly needed assistance. These individuals were then invited to come to the local stake centres, which is where the events were held, and enjoy a program of music, dance, and talks prior to the food distribution.
Before the events, missionaries from the Ghana Accra Missionary Training Center (MTC) turned out in force to package the goods for distribution. The MTC graciously allowed the gymnasium to be transformed into a warehouse where the food was organized, stacked and then sorted into bags for distribution during the Light the World events. The missionaries then loaded the bags into trucks which transported them to the stake centre.
- Missionaries-at-the-Ghana-Missionary-Training-Center-pack-bags-of-food-for-Light-the-World-distribution-on-30-November-2024.
- Elder-Morrison-distributes-food-to-needy-at-Light-the-World-event-on-2-December-2024.
- Audience-enjoys-Light-the-World-program-prior-to-food-distribution-on-5-December-2024.
- Cultural-performance-during-Light-the-World-program-on-5-December-2024.
- Food-recipients-carry-home-their-Light-the-World-bags-of-food-on-5-December-2024.
- Guests-waiting-to-receive-food-donations-attend-Light-the-World-program-on-5-December-2024.
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The programs in both locations featured speakers who addressed a variety of topics, including peace, charity, brotherhood and the birth of the Saviour and the need to emulate His life of service. Elder Isaac K. Morrison, second counsellor in the Africa West Area Presidency, explained to the audience in Takoradi the purpose of the Light the World initiative, which has been celebrated every year since 2015 — the bringing together of family, friends and neighbours to celebrate the birth of Christ and to share His light. He noted that the focus of the gathering is on performing acts of service for others, and he introduced the “25 ways in 25 days” program that encourages everyone to perform some simple act of service on each of the 25 days in December leading up to Christmas.
Elder Samuel Annan-Simons, Area Seventy, read to the Madina audience from Luke chapter 2, and after reading the angels’ declaration of “good will towards men,” he explained the application of the verse: “This day we gather together because of Jesus Christ and follow His example to express and to give to all good will. . . We express good will to you and to all so that you might express good will to everyone you come in contact with.” He explained that, among other things, good will means forgiving others and not holding grudges.
Mixed in between the talks were cultural performances that featured traditional drums and dances by local youth. The dances and music were well received by the audience. Finally, after the programs concluded, the bags of food were distributed to the identified individuals who expressed profound gratitude for the experience and for the donation.