Light the World
Twenty-seven young men and women, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spent the day working on community service projects as they participated in a global initiative, Light the World. This project focuses on celebrating and sharing the light of Jesus Christ, the “Light of the World” (John 8:12) throughout the month of December.
Building Homes
One group of 10 traveled from Pensacola to Century, Florida to work with Habitat for Humanity building a home where recent tornadoes left many homeless. Families are still struggling more than nine months after a storm ripped through Century. Working together with BRACE, Escambia County, World Renew, and the Escambia Housing Finance Authority, Pensacola Habitat will build sixteen to twenty new homes. Volunteers worked to frame out a new home.
Home Improvement Store
Home building is only one of the many facets of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity. ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers. They sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Local Habitat for Humanity affiliates own and operate Restore facilities. Proceeds are used to build homes, community, and hope locally and around the world. 17 missionaries went to the Pensacola ReStore to help with projects there. They repaired items, built some things, loaded, unloaded cars, organized, cleaned the warehouse and helped customers. The manager expressed gratitude for the group’s efforts, “If everyone just helped out a little more like this, the world would be a better place.”
Volunteers at Food Bank
That was all done before lunch! After lunch, all 27 missionaries and two senior missionaries (an older couple) met at Manna Food Pantry. There they worked sorting food, cleaning and organizing recent food drive contributions.
Christ is the Light of the World
“It’s the Christmas season,” said David A. Bednar, a member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leadership. “We have lights — all kinds of lights on our houses, on our trees, on our dining tables. So if we link those wonderful traditions with the source of truth, even Christ as the source of light, it just made great sense to all of us that we can share Christ’s message by doing simple acts of service to light the world.”
These kinds of projects are never finished. Volunteers are always needed especially during the holiday season. The initiative continues for the entire month. Standby for additional reports, this was just the first day! If you need ideas on how to serve others, visit http://www.JustServe.org.