By Elder James Wong, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Singapore
By God’s grace, the Harum Bible Dedication went well with joyous celebrations and heartfelt testimonies of God’s goodness and love for the Harum people. A total of 80 Harum believers, 20 foreign guests, 50 pastors from the local area and another 50 pastors from churches elsewhere in Indonesia attended the Bible dedication. A few Singaporeans from Wycliffe Singapore and Covenant Presbyterian Church (CPC) also attended too. CPC has supported the Harum project since 2018.
H, the translator, testified to God's faithfulness in leading them through challenging times. The Harum Bible Translation Team had begun with 11 team members, but numbers dwindled to 6 over the years due to three deaths, and two more left due to marriage (to spouses from a different faith). However, nothing could stop God’s work on the Bible translation, not even Covid-19! By God’s grace, the team persevered and pressed on, fixing their eyes on Jesus until the translation work was completed.
The Bible dedication began with music, dancing and singing to celebrate this joyous event. A very touching moment during the dedication was when young men and women carrying copies of the translated NT Bible processed into the church. They carried Bibles in rice baskets slung over their shoulders and in their hands symbolising that the Bible is their bread of life. Tears of joy overflowed as the Harum people received the Living Word in the language they understand best!
Elder Ho Chung Tat from CPC was invited to share a reflection at the Bible dedication ceremony. He said: “The completion of NT Bible in Harum is a testament of our Oneness in Christ and the love of God for the Harum community.”
CPC is grateful to God for the opportunity to be involved in giving, praying and going on yearly trips to visit the Harum team. During those trips, they were able to participate in engaging the local churches through organising programmes to reach out to village children, ministering to the local congregations, and conducting workshops for church leaders and pastors. They have seen God’s hand in leading the translation team through the years they have participated in the Harum project.
Praise be to God!
Photos from the Bible dedication:
