One in Love in Samosir

"It hasn't rained for eight months on Samosir Island, so the springs have all dried up", a parishioner from the Seventh-day Adventist Church (GMAHK) told us. Behind his sadness, he still showed a grateful smile because he could finally hold the book that he had longed for: A little hope in the midst of a long and tiring dry season.

On 3 & 8 November 2025, the LAI Team travelled to distribute 10,460 copies of the Bible and its parts to God's people in various parts of Samosir, both Catholics and Protestants who have longed to have their own Bibles, but have found it difficult to do so.

Till now, to buy a Bible, they had to go to the Spiritual Shop in the Church at a price much higher than the LAI catalogue price. The high price is due to the high cost of transport to the interior. Because of this, very few people have Bibles. Especially the New Translation of the 2nd Edition, almost all of them do not have one. Many of them are still reading the old, worn-out Bible, but they still cling to it tightly because it is the only one they have.

 
When we arrived at GPdI, it was a small, modest church. One pastor, who had longed to own a Study Bible, was overwhelmed with emotion when he finally got his hands on one. All this time he could only pray, because the price of the Study Edition Bible was too expensive for him who serves a small congregation in the interior.

The LAI Team's journey from one point to another was always accompanied by thick dust that never seemed to subside. Drought has hit almost all the rice fields and farms. Every day, people pray with hope that rain will soon fall on Samosir Island. For water to return to the barren and cracked land. For life to be restored.

For those who live in the highlands, the suffering is even more severe. To get clean water, they have to buy a balteng (500 l water tank) for Rp150,000. If they are economical, that much water can be used for one week. This price is quite expensive for people who mostly depend on coffee, chilli and corn. This is especially true for the residents of Sipira Village, Onan Runggu Subdistrict, which is located far from the city and is full of limitations.

Thank you to LAI's ministry partners who have helped bring the word of God to God's people in Samosir. Support LAI's ministry through the One in Love programme in bringing the Good News to the corners of the archipelago.

In the midst of hardship, the shared Bible becomes more than just Scripture. They are a comfort, a hope, and a reminder that in the midst of drought and struggle, God is still faithfully working through small hands that are willing to serve. (bonita)