February 1, 2010 – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic…[Silvestre Gonzalez Tabar/IAD Staff]
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.
To view photos of the Follow the Bible activities in the Dominican Republic, visit http://flickr.com/photos/interamerica
