Dedication of the Romblomanon New Testament.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)
This verse was the motto for the Romblomanon Bible dedication which was held on 27 April 2019, and reflects the desire of the translation team – that the word of God in the Romblomanon language will truly speak to the hearts of the Romblomanon people and be the light for their paths.
A member of Wycliffe Singapore, Phyllis Rappa, was part of this translation team. She joined Wycliffe Singapore as a secretary, then became a member in 1987. After completing her linguistics training, she was assigned to the Romblomanon project in 1993 when the previous team had to leave. Romblon is an island in the Philippines. She learned the Romblomanon language before beginning translation, and was later joined by a family from Hong Kong. Over the next 25 years, together with local team members, they completed drafting the entire New Testament. Unfortunately, in Feb 2016, a relapse of cancer forced Phyllis to return to Singapore, and she passed away in Sep 2017.
A group of 13 from Singapore and Malaysia attended the Bible dedication. This group included representatives from Wycliffe Singapore, Phyllis's supporting churches in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as her sister and nephew. They were joined in Manila by a group from Hong Kong. Together, they travelled to Romblon the same way Phyllis had so many times – by a nine-hour overnight journey on a ferry.
The highlight of the celebration was a parade through the centre of town and past major landmarks. More than 100 people including the foreign visitors and members of the participating churches held banners and waved the new Bibles while marching together, calling out greetings to people en route.
Next came a ceremony in the town hall. Many speeches were made by those who had been involved in the work, the visitors, and representatives of the Mayor and participating churches. Bibles were available for purchase after the ceremonies, and volunteers stood ready to help people to download digital apps for reading the Bible. The next day, a Sunday, the celebrations continued in the local churches.
All praise to God for his gift of his word!
Watch these videos:
1. Romblomanon New Testament dedication trailer (1.24 min)
2. Romblomanon New Testament dedication full story (8.35 min)
3. Incarnational ministry in Romblomanon (4.24 min)
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