INTER-AMERICAN: January 2010 Archives

Seventh-day Adventist leaders and church members in the Dominican Republic welcomed the Traveling Bible with open arms and a strong commitment to continue promoting the Follow the Bible initiative launched by the world church during its first journey in 2008. The unique Bible made its way into Santo Domingo on Jan. 12 where it was escorted by national police and followed by dozens of vehicles carrying banners and decorations until reaching the eastern part of the island.

The Bible arrived in San Pedro de Macoris, where a multitude of Seventh-day Adventist leaders, students and civil and military authorities were gathered. The fire department, national police, the Red Cross and the civil defense were also in attendance. The Bible journeyed through the streets of the city, stopping in the central plaza for a special program.

The Traveling Bible also made its journey to the mayor's office in Santo Domingo, the Supreme Court of Justice, National Congress and the National Palace. More than 1,000 Bibles were distributed to government officials and workers.

The Bible then traveled to the southeastern part of the island, where the governor delivered a speech defending the truth about the Sabbath to hundreds of people there. He spoke in front of the Faro a Colon.

The traveling Bible then made its way to the northern part of the island in Santiago de los Caballeros where the reading of the Bible was promoted with Senator of Santiago Francisco Dominguez Brito and Governor Nidia Bisono de Tavarez. They both spoke on the importance of reading the Bible to students and professors in the community. The Catholic Church sent its priest Miguel Marte, who read a portion of the Traveling Bible.

The special book continued its journey to San Francisco de Macoris, Bani, and Azua where special programs were held in public plazas and the Bible was paraded through the streets. An ambulance from the Vista del Jardin Medical Center accompanied the Bible throughout its journey along with pathfinders and master guides to cities on the island.

The unique Bible made a final stop in Santo Domingo's Olympic Book where a special program and baptismal ceremony took place.

In all more than 50,000 Bibles were distributed on the island during the Follow the Bible initiative which began earlier this year with Bible reading and transcribing marathons throughout every city and community on the island.

The Bible's journey into the Dominican Republic was the 116th stop around the world and the final stop on Inter-American soil.

-- Silvestre Gonzalez Tabar/IAD Staff 

The Traveling Bible arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 7, just days before the 7-magnitude earthquake hit the city, killing thousands and leaving thousands more homeless. The Bible had previously been in Puerto Rico.

Dozens of Seventh-day Adventist church leaders, government officials and church members welcomed the unique Bible at Toussaint Louverture International Airport's diplomatic room. About 20 members of the media were present to document the event.

The president of the Protestant Federation in Haiti joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church to receive the multi-language Bible, which was hand-delivered by the delegation from Puerto Rico. The Bible was then taken in a caravan through the city of Port-au-Prince for the second of many celebrations.

"It is my privilege to hand you this traveling Bible," said Pastor Jose A. Rodriguez, president of the church in Puerto Rico, as he handed the Bible to Theart St. Pierre, president of the church in Haiti. "We hope that this Bible can be a light to shine and guide Haiti. Read the Bible, Practice the Bible."

Pastor St. Pierre, along with his team of union, fields, institutions and church members, pledged to read the Bible and promote Bible reading throughout Haiti.

Church leaders, members and community leaders participated in transcribing Bible passages and reciting scripture. They also enjoyed a special exhibit of the oldest Bibles in Haiti.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, nearly 3,000 people gathered at the Auditorium of the Bible in Port-au-Prince for a huge celebration. About 120 government officials and religious leaders were invited as special guests. Among them were representatives from the presidential office, the Apostolic Nuncio, the President of the Protestant Federation, a representative of the voodoo church, political leaders and dozens of ministers from other evangelical churches.

Each guest read a Bible passage from the Book of Joel in French or Creole, and each received a special Bible from Adventist leaders. In addition to Bible-themed Sabbath activities, church leaders distributed some 450 Bibles to female inmates and police guards at the Petion-Ville Women's prison after a special Bible-focused program.

Over 15,000 young people and church members marched with Bible in hand through the streets of Port-au-Prince. Using loud speakers, leaders invited listeners to read the Bible. More than 15,000 Bibles were given away during the march. In addition, Pathfinders and Pathfinder Master Guides sang special songs about the Bible.

The Traveling Bible left Port-au-Prince on the morning of Jan. 12, towards Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, just hours before the earthquake hit.

-- Pierre Caporal/IAD Staff

January 18, 2010 -- San Juan, Puerto Rico. [Freddy Sosa/IAD staff]

The Seventh-day Adventist Traveling Bible made its way into the island of Puerto Rico on Jan 3, 2010. Dozens of church leaders and members awaited the arrival of the unique Bible, which was escorted by a three-member delegation from Martinique.

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.