The match was waved off by Pastor Paul Musya, the executive director for East African Union, who has been the main speaker in every town we have visited. The event also attracted several leaders from government, banks, and NGO sector.

Over five thousand people attended the meeting. Choirs from across the conference graced the occasion as leaders from other religious organizations urged all present to go back to the Bible, which they said can help alleviate challenges that we face in the world today.

Speaker after speaker praised the Adventist church for taking a bold step to take the Bible around publicly. Nyamira town residents who did not want to come into the grounds stood round the fence through-out the meeting.

Local businessmen closed their businesses to join Christians in the celebrations.
Certificates were awarded to those who had completed reading the Bible in one year as others pledged to continue reading while others pledged to start.

The historic Bible made its way to Narok, Kenya on March 31 and was received by the whole town. Hundreds of people lined up by the roads, causing massive traffic as the church members matched on the highway before branching to the road leading to Narok Central Sun.

The scorching sun and dust did not deter people from lining up by the roadside. One would be mistaken to think that they had been arranged and also asked to be silent. One could see gazes of amazement as each person looked at the Bible as it passed.

Some businesses were paralyzed as people jammed every available space to have a look at the Bible. Maasai Adventist church members who carried the Bible in turns also danced to the music from the band as they walked past the big crowds.

The procession -- which had over two thousand people -- also saw many town residents join in all the way to the church compound, with some of them staying for some time to enjoy the pathfinder match.

The Maasai choir later sang in their vernacular and their men demonstrate their skill of jumping almost to the ceiling of the church. Faces shone brightly as each presentation was made.

Due to the hot sun, we relocated to the church and it was soon filled to capacity. After Pr. Muasya's sermon, heavy rain fell and for nearly two hours people stayed inside the church. Meanwhile, despite poor lighting in the church, photographers took pictures of all those who wanted.

When the rain stopped, church members rushed out to have more pictures taken, and none seemed to mind the mud that stuck on them in the compound.

Some church members had been waiting since six o'clock in the morning, participants said. Among them were mothers and their babies, young children and very old people who would not have made it to Migori, the main venue.

One lady on crutches said, "I have seen the Bible, touched it and taken a picture with it. It is great. I can now rest in peace." She called the Bible one of the eight wonders of the world.

Pastor Paul Muasya and Pastor Makori briefly addressed the church members and explained why the Bible was being taken round.

The convoy the proceeded to Serare, the last Kenyan town bordering Tanzania. This small but famous town is known for its traders who trade in both countries. The members, mostly from the Kuria community, gathered outside the parking bay for trucks that transport good to either country.

Soon, the singing started and a big crowd formed. The procession then left the boarder to the middle of town. As we moved down the streets, the crowd swelled as local residents headed to the Catholic Church with palm leaves in hand stopped joined the procession temporarily. Some stared at the procession until it was out of sight.

Church members in Serare prepare to start the procession. The crowd soon swelled to a about three hundred.

Again the convoy left for the main venue in Migori. The procession was led by several motorcycles and a police officer on a motorcycle. As the church members who numbered about one thousand matched down the streets, traffic came to a standstill. Hundreds of local residents rushed from different places to have a better view of the Bible.

At Migori Primary school where the function was held choirs presented music items. Several people representing various language communities recited John 3:16 in different languages.

Pastor Muasya who has been speaking on the need for Christians to read and live by God's word, led people into recommitting themselves to the study of God's word.

In attendance were the former Migori Mayor, the local area chief, and a leader from an independent church.

The rains which had threatened the meeting did not fall as expected and after a few minutes, the meeting resumed.

Those who had completed reading the Bible in one year were awarded certificates.

The traveling Bible continues to attract thousands of people to each venue that it has been to. In South Kenya conference which is in Kisii town, thousands of people attended the meeting on Tuesday, March 23.

The procession commenced at Nyanchwa Teachers College where over two thousand students from the institution spent their better part of the morning waiting to see the procession start.

The procession then went through several roads of Kisii town where business came to a standstill as local residents rushed from their business premises to the roadside to have a look at the Bible. Led by South Kenya Executive Director, Obed Nyamache, the church members followed the Salvation Army band closely as they sang choruses.

On arrival at Kisii Central Church compound, the procession was met by over two thousand people who had already occupied vantage points in order to have a better view of the Bible. Several religious leaders from independent and mainstream Sunday keeping churches who attended expressed their joy for having been invited. Each of them urged the church members to read God's word.

Pastor Paul Muasya who has been the main speaker in the entire venue explained the need for members to turn to God's word. Choirs from various churches presented inspiring music as the choir sand the theme song 'Give me the Bible'.

Those who had completed reading the Bible in one year were give certificates. Pastor Lumwe asked members that have not started reading the Bible to do so.

Church members held a special press conference when the multi-language Bible landed at the Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Luis Valladares, representative of the island's governor, joined church leaders and praised the church for its Follow the Bible initiative.

A caravan of vehicles escorted the Bible from the city of Ponce to the city of Guanica, ending with a ceremony in a nearby baseball park. The ceremony emphasized the importance of the study of the Bible. Hundreds of copies of "Priorities" missionary magazine were distributed during the day.

More than 1,500 church leaders, community leaders and church members gathered for the special celebration.

Representatives of the office of Guanica were in attendance. Jesus Calderon, president of the city's municipal district, addressed the crowd.

"It is a pleasure for us to host this activity which elevates the spirit of our people through the emphasis of the Word of God," Calderon said.

Pastor Rodriguez, president of the church in the West Conference, spoke of Guanica as the place where the North American armed forces entered in 1898. Along with the troops was American soldier David Trail, the first Seventh-day Adventist to step onto the island. It was in Guanica where Trail requested the General Conference to send a missionary to work on the island.

"This is why the city of Guanica was chosen as a special place to receive the traveling Bible," Pastor Rodriguez said.

The unique Bible continued to the north of the island where thousands witnessed and learned of its journey around the world.

The visit of the traveling Bible in Puerto Rico culminated the church's months of activities related to the Follow the Bible initiative. The island's two Adventist radio stations promoted the various Bible-related activities such as Bible reading marathons, Bible transcribing marathons and special community projects.

Top church leaders then traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Jan. 7, where the Bible remained there for five days.

To view photos of the traveling Bible in Puerto Rico, visit flickr.com.

After making its final stop in Central America, the Seventh-day Adventist Traveling Bible leaves behind thousands of fans in Costa Rica after a six-day journey through the country.

Hundreds church leaders, church members, pathfinders and master guides gathered at San Jose's Juan Santa Maria Airport to witness and celebrate the arrival of the unique Bible, on Dec. 4, 2009, on its 111th stop around the globe.
National television stations and the print media were present to cover the event.

Local authorities escorted the multi-language Bible and were joined by a caravan of cars displaying it through the main streets of the City of Alajuela as a testimony to the importance and value of God's Word.

The Bible made its way to the Adventist University in Alajuela for the official handing over by church leaders from the Mid Central American Union and later made its way to the Bible Society of Costa Rica where leaders praised the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the worldwide initiative to promote the Bible, called "Follow the Bible".

During a special ceremony at the Garantias Sociales Plaza in San Jose, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, Dr. Luis Paulino Mora Mora read the first two chapters of the Traveling Bible. Pastor Israel Leito, president for the church in Inter-America joined in the celebration and read the Bible in Dutch. Dozens more read the Bible in German, Russina, Czech, and English, among others.

Meanwhile thousands of youth and laypeople read the Bible in dozens of parks and plazas across the country. More than 10,000 free Bibles were distributed during the day's event.

Costa Rica's Adventist Radio station suspended its regular program to air the reading of the entire Bible from Dec. 3-6. Dozens of Adventist schools joined in the months' celebration emphasizing the reading of the Bible to thousands of its students before the end of the school year in November.

The Traveling Bible is scheduled to arrive in Jamaica on Dec. 11.

To view a photo gallery of the traveling Bible in Costa Rica, visit Flickr.