Ecuadorians of all ages are handwriting the entire Bible -- one verse at a time -- as part of the Bible Marathon project in Ecuador sponsored by HCJB Global and IBS-STL Latin America. Writing just one verse apiece to total more than 30,000 verses of Scripture, they will corporately produce a giant Bible throughout the course of the next year.

Inaugurated at a special breakfast at Radio Station HCJB in Quito on Thursday, Sept. 27, the project began with a meeting of evangelical pastors hosted by the ministry. Radio announcements notified listeners of the opportunity, and the following day hundreds of schoolchildren visited the station. After patiently waiting in lines, each took a pen in hand, writing down verses from Genesis and Matthew.

Throughout the year, the giant book will be taken to other Ecuadorian cities as well, serving as what Pablo del Salto of IBS-STL in Ecuador compared to an Olympic torch bringing moral light to the nation. He compared the marathon to a beehive of spiritual activity, serving to spur on congregations to pray that Ecuador would be governed by the counsel of the Bible.

The book will eventually be kept on display at HCJB Global's Ministry Center in Quito with copies to be presented to the executive and legislative branches of Ecuador's government.

Ecuador's constitution guarantees religious liberties, but this wasn't true a century ago when there were obstructions to Protestants' distributing the Scriptures in the country. As a Uruguayan preacher, Francisco Penzotti, had his boxes of Bibles inspected by Ecuador's customs agents in 1892 he was told, "As long as Mount Chimborazo stands, these books will never enter Ecuador." Nonetheless, only a few Bibles were confiscated. Penzotti not only sold Bibles in Ecuador but also established the nucleus of an evangelical church in the port city of Guayaquil.

Tatiana De La Torre, director of local radio at Radio Station HCJB, said the marathon promotes the motto, "For the Evangelization of Ecuador, More Bibles, More Good News." She said it aims for the "evangelization in our society and to reveal the relevance of the Word of God for personal change as well as social change in our country."

Writing the Bible by hand was once a lofty endeavor reserved for learned clerics and nobles. In Jewish and Catholic tradition, the copying of texts of Holy Writ was historically entrusted to groups set apart for that specific purpose. The Talmudists, for example, transcribed synagogue scrolls, and their intricate transcription system required them to sit in full Jewish dress and not begin to write the name of God with a pen freshly dipped in the ink. Furthermore, should a king address the scribe while writing God's name, the writer was to not give heed to the earthly king.

A festive yet reverent environment prevailed at a large studio at Radio Station HCJB which will also soon host thousands of Ecuadorians during Misión Compartida, a three-day open house where listeners can share testimonies and prayer requests on the air, take part in activities and make donations to the ministry.

After leaving the station, the giant pages of Scripture were then taken to Christian bookstores and will later be presented at local churches where others may write out verses, adding their names to a growing list of scribes.

Donations received from Bible Marathon participants will be used by the sponsoring ministries to air gospel radio promos and distribute thousands of Bibles across Ecuador. HCJB Global's José "Chema" Reinoso referred to an added dimension of the marathon -- that of unifying Christians in Ecuador.

International Bible Society and Send The Light merged as IBS-STL Global on March 1, 2007. The combined organization delivers more Bibles into the hands of more people, in more countries, more efficiently than either could individually.

Sources: HCJB Global, IBS-STL Global, Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, Daybreak Over Ecuador by Richard Reichert