A journey of faith in an effort to bring the Bible to Seruyan

Central Kalimantan is one of the provinces in Indonesia with a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The indigenous people of Central Kalimantan are the Dayak tribe. The Dayak people have been known as a traditional society that has a unique religious system. The Dayak people in ancient times embraced the Kaharingan religion, a belief inherited from their ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. Kaharingan is not animism or dynamism. They believe in God Almighty or the Creator of the Universe (wikipedia-ed.). Since the presence of the Christian mission in Central Kalimantan, many Dayaks have claimed to believe in Christ.

One of the areas in Central Kalimantan is Seruyan Regency. For a long time, God's people there, especially those living in the interior, have longed for the presence of the Bible to accompany them in growing in faith personally and in worship together. Many areas in the interior of Seruyan are difficult to reach. To get there requires a double axle vehicle. The terrain is red soil, sometimes rocky and slippery and muddy when it rains. It is even more difficult because the villages are often far apart.

In 2024, God answered the prayers and struggles of God's people in Seruyan. God's power has moved many partners of the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI) from various cities to support the procurement of Bibles and their parts for God's people in Seruyan and other areas in the archipelago through the "One in Love" program.

For five days between 7-11 October 2024, the LAI team, accompanied by Rev. Riky Poetiray from the Kalimantan Evangelical Church (GKE) and two vicars (prospective pastors), delivered and distributed 4,312 Bibles and 917 Bible comics in the areas of Central Seruyan, Hulu Seruyan and North Hulu Seruyan.

"The terrain that we had to go through was muddy, climbing and we had to enter several forest areas," said Elias Waang, leader of the LAI group. "When leaving for Seruyan Hulu, according to local residents, our journey would take 12 hours, but in several locations the team stopped and looked for another route because the main road was cut off due to flooding, so the travel time was longer," he continued.

The rain that fell every day caused the condition of the road, which was mostly dirt, to become increasingly damaged. Finally, the vehicle that took the group to the location was no longer able to continue the journey to North Seruyan Hulu. So the team then decided to continue the journey via river using a klotok boat, a small boat with a width the size of an adult's body. The journey took 4 hours from Seruyan Hulu.

All the tiredness was paid off when we met and saw God's people and joyfully welcomed the presence of the team that brought the Bible for them. Hopefully the tree of faith that has begun by presenting the Bible in Seruyan Regency and its surroundings, will be the first step in LAI's efforts to support churches in building fellowship, worship and strengthening the life of faith of God's people there. Soli-Deo gloria. (KEW)