Light the World - Ghanaian Style

In December we got to celebrate Light the World and it's been a theme that has resonated everywhere I looked since.  This particular event was pretty cool because these lovely folks gave the liveliest, happiest nativity I've seen.  My favorite part was the excitement of Christ's birth with baby giggles and Mary dancing for joy.

When we walked the temple grounds, one person's candle lit anothers and one by one we were all lighting the world.  I have been lit by so many candles during my time in Ghana it's impossible to list them all.  

You know the saying that it takes a village to raise a family?  I saw it firsthand as so many friends throughout the country took on and loved my children as my own.  They would never hesitate to welcome us and show us love- giving any help or gifts they could think of.  

These are my hard working friends who worked at Crystal Friends.  They not only did fabulous work, but every Thursday they came to my place to meet with the missionaries.  It was the highlight of my week as we discussed Christ and they continued coming and taught me even more about Faith.  The desire to do good and do as Christ directs is strong with this group.  Rose in the middle did more than keep my house clean.  She loved my kids as her own and she was a missionary who gathered and invited the whole group to learn together.  

True Christlike love I've never seen more than in Daniel.  His story is so inspiring: When his friend died, he brought in those children as his own to become a family of 10.  Same thing when his brother died- making an even bigger clan to house and feed.  Even during our time there his family grew by 2 as he took in stake members and those in need of help.  You don't have to have a lot to give.  Just a love of God and a desire to serve him.

My friend Brenda (who is like part of our family) helped start a charity called Beeyond Chocolate who wanted to visit the street kids on Valentines day and give them some love through Chocolate, lunch, and donated clothes and shoes.  Jaxon and I got to be a part of it and here's our finale picture with some volunteers and some street kids all coming together to praise God.

Yes, I'd say Ghana is trying to Light the World