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Rikou NT

Rikou 1

The Rikou people live on the eastern end of the island of Rote in Indonesia, a country that has been troubled by political and religious unrest for the last several years. European traders introduced the people of this island to Christianity in the 1700s, but the Rikou people still do not have God’s Word in their own language. Pastors use the Indonesian language Bible in church services, but without understandable Scriptures, professing Christians lack the foundational truths that lead to practical applications for Christian living.

Rikou 2

In 2000, a retired pastor from nearby Timor introduced the Rikou people to the Scripture in Kupang Malay, a creole language used widely in the region. He challenged a cousin, who is a pastor in the area, to begin translation in the Rikou language. The community formed a team and initiated Scripture translation in their own language. They translated Gospel of Mark, and published it after a thorough checking process. This first book of Scripture in the Rikou language was dedicated in a community celebration in December of 2004. The team is now trained and ready to move ahead with a full translation project, and they’re requesting financial and technical assistance to get the job done.

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