Tangerang — Love for the Word of God is not always expressed through words. For Mrs Nelly Henna, a member of the GKWI Pluit congregation who lives in Tangerang, one way she expresses her love is through her dedication to writing out the Word of God as part of the Handwritten Bible (Altutang) programme organised by the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI). As a Bible Friend  LAI, Mrs Nelly has long been known for her steadfast support of LAI’s ministry. Going beyond this support, she has also taken a direct part in the Altutang programme. For her, writing verse by verse has been a faith experience that has brought her closer to and helped her to live out God’s Word.

 

To date, Mrs Nelly has completed the writing of Joshua 1, Jeremiah 1, and Romans 6. Her dedication does not stop there. She also plans to continue her writing journey with Genesis 5. For Mrs Nelly, every verse she writes is not merely a string of words put down on paper. There is a process of reading, paying attention to, and reflecting upon each of God’s words. Through this process, she is led to realise just how precious the Bible is—a book that we have so easily been able to read and own all this time.

 

The Handwritten Bible is one of LAI’s programmes that invites the public to reflect on the struggles of our forebears, who worked tirelessly to make the Bible available for today’s generation to read. Before printing technology had developed as it has today, the Word of God was written by hand through a lengthy and painstaking process.

Through Altutang, the public is invited to slow down for a moment and relive that process. Anyone can take part by writing at least three verses, with a contribution of Rp 20,000 per verse.

 

Mrs Nelly’s story serves as a reminder that sharing God’s Word is something anyone can do, even through a simple act: picking up a pen and starting to write.

 

It is hoped that Mrs Nelly’s enthusiasm and perseverance will inspire more and more women in Indonesia to take part in the Handwritten Bible programme. For when a woman writes down the Word of God, it is not merely ink that remains on the paper, but also a faith experience that will be remembered for years to come.

 

Let’s take part in the LAI Handwritten Bible. You don’t need to wait until you can write a lot. Start with just three verses. Three verses may seem simple, but from that small step we can learn to cherish God’s Word and reflect on the long struggle of those who have made the Bible available to us today.

Let’s support and get involved with Altutang. Let’s bring God’s Word to life.