Online exhibition of paintings
from the book Highway 777
Route beyond the horizon
English translation is under construction and to be published an E book
My autobiography has several stages as tokens of remembrance. Once the people of Israel raised twelve stones as a monument when they passed through the Jordan River.
It is a blessing to recall what God has done in our lives.
Stage 1
Baboe Attemie brought me by the hand into the room with the rattan chairs, where my mother often sat behind her treadle sewing machine.
Attemie cleared her throat loudly, saying in a high-pitched voice, 'Madam, here is Maurits!'
When mother looked up with furrowed brows, she saw the servant wide-eyed. With one finger in front of her mouth, she pointed with the other to the bottom of the curtain, where a man’s brown feet protruded. Without hesitation, mother grabbed a pair of scissors and yanked the curtain aside. The person, most likely a burglar, was startled and fled immediately. Mother pulled me towards herself and lifted me up. Sobbing with fright, I asked why that man was hiding.
Trembling, she shook her head and sighed, ‘Don't be afraid, Mauki, he'll never come back again!’
I did not understand, because the gardeners were often hidden between the banana and pineapple trees.
A few months later, my father was threatened by his chauffeur on the driveway to the garage. At gunpoint he was forced to hand over the keys to his Jeep.
On March 9, 1952, I was born in Djakarta. The name printed on my birth announcement was Michiel but just as Batavia, since the independence changed to Djakarta and later to Jakarta, my name Michiel became Maurits Rolff.
I recently discovered that the director of the timber trade in Utrecht, for which father worked, was called Maurits.
In Kebajoran, Block O II, family Tompot lived in a spacious bungalow and the colonial life was prosperous. In addition to many holidays in Bandung, mother organized numerous tea parties and dinners. Ballantine whisky arrived in a wooden crates. Jonneke and I would use it to store our dinky toys.
The President of the new Republic, Sukarno, wanted to liberate Indonesia from foreigners. Becoming a dictator, intimidation and burglaries were increasing.
After long urging by father, Joke Tompot and her children embarked on the Willem Ruys at the end of 1958. At the time, I was six years old, Jonneke was eight and sister Jolanthe four. Black and white pictures show father waving at us, standing in his white shirt and shorts on the quay of Tandjong Priok. Mother used her white handkerchief also to dab her teary eyes. Would they see each other again? In a photograph, Jonneke can be seen waving with his white-plaster cast arm. I can still hear the crack when he broke his wrist falling off the swing a few weeks before leaving Djakarta.
At the sight of mother's tears, Jonneke asked why dad was not going with us to Holland. ‘He still has business to settle before he comes by plane as soon as possible.’
After the big ropes were thrown loose, the ship was towed by a tug boat and the horn blared so loudly that my body trembled. Later on colour films with the rattling sound, we saw images of sun-drenched Singapore, flying fish, Port Saïd and the Suez Canal. As tropical children, we always walked on ‘kakies’ or bare feet. Passing Gibraltar, we had to wear shoes that pinched our feet. The woollen clothes, with the smell of camphor, itching terribly.
Conceived and born in Djakarta, Indonesia.
isha = woman sold
Stage 2
Coming from Indonesia, the Tompot family arrived into a
snow white world and I celebrated my seventh birthday.
The forest, dunes, beach and sea in Bergen N.H. made
a huge impression on me and nature still inspires me.
I learned that the sea doesn't teach us how to swim,
the secret of life must be told.
sold
Stage 3
The family moved to Brussels in Belgium
sold
and life smiled upon us,
until Father passed away a week after Pentacost in 1966.
The four children were not allowed to attend the funeral and
I have waited many years for him.
Sold
Stage 4
After seven years the Tompots returned to Gouda in the
Netherlands.
Copy J.H. Weissenbruch
We moved to the Martenssingel 65a, next to
the Karnemelksloot with the white bridges.
Buttermilk canal
Stage 5
I felt unhappy in Holland and started a world trip to find
meaning to life.
Halfway on the 'navel' of the earth, I found kibbutz Ginossar beautifully situated at the Sea of Galilea. The social system seemed to be the best in the world.
Here I experienced a miraculous thirst quenching after a short prayer to the God of Israel.
Was it coincidence and what is coincidence?
Sea of Galilea sold
I entered the Holy Land with only ten guilders and a
motorbike, but to leave the country, I needed money.
After refusing work as a bit player in the movie 'Jesus Christ
Superstar', I finally found work on a construction site in Eilat.
After two months, I had enough money to travel and I
attempted to ride around the Sinai.
Halfway I was stranded without petrol and strangely enough I felt peace in the vast expanse of the desert.
I prayed for the second time in my life.
Triple peace
Stage 6
I ended up in a monastery in Galilea but in my search for truth, I didn't find it. Being a hippie, I wondered if I could find
the truth in India. If not, I would travel to Australia, start a
weed plantation and enjoy life.
Family Lane
In Rishikesh I ran out of money and fell ill. I prayed for
the third time to the God of Israel.
Could He hear me in India as well?
A miracle happened as Peter and Dorothy Lane, like the
good Samaritans, took me into their home for seven weeks,
free of charge.
They explained the good news, the Secret of Life to me.
Eureka
Stage 7 Eureka
I found what I was looking for. Truth turned out to be a Person
who said 'Seek ye first my Kingdom and my righteousness and I will give you everything'.
I asked, 'Everything?'
There I made a deal with the God of Israel, who's name is Jesus. He would bring me to Australia, but first, I had to return to the Netherlands. Like the prodigal son, I came home and as I wanted to know everything about the bible, I started a three year course at the Bible College in Doorn.
Mother was very proud that her son finally attained a degree as a bible teacher.
I taught for one year waiting till my girlfriend Yvonne finished
her studies at the same college one year later. We both
had a calling to go to Israel.
Teaching at several schools was overwhelming, causing
me to neglect Yvonne which ruined our relationship.
Yvonne in Norway
Stage 8
Feeling forsaken I wanted to be free and became a courier to
smuggle bibles from Vienna to Eastern Europe.
The calling for Israel became stronger...
Gipsy in Romania, sold sold
Stage 9
I could not resist the calling and flew to Tel Aviv.
Outside Lod Airport I was waiting for a divine message or a
messenger, but nothing happened.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...
Stage 10
The Bible Centre in Jerusalem needed a courier to distrubute
Old and New Testament Bibles to all the kibbutzim in Israel,
which would take three months.
Yvonne arrived in Jerusalem and I believed everything
between us was fine now since we were reunited again, but
she wanted me to wait for one year.
When the mission was accomplished, I found an empty bible
shop in Tel Aviv and I was very interrested in acquiring the
premisses to combine the shop with an art gallery.
Permission for this, I had to go to London.
Finally the British Society who owned the place, required a born Jew and although I was reborn, my circumcision of the heart was not sufficient for the Society.
Stage 11 - Painting
Back in the Netherlands I started to organise exhibitions and
at a certain moment, I could fly to the United States for only one guilder if I was on stand by. I felt free to satisfy my travel fever making a trip through America and Canada .
In a camper on Vancouver Island I painted 'Communion'.
Communion, sold
Stage12
When I returned home, Yvonne went to the USA and I
decided not to wait any longer.
At an evangelical theater I met Marianne, a beautifull former
hippy. She advised me to apply for the position of verger at
her church, the Saint John's in Gouda.
After we married, I also taught part-time bible lessons in
public schools again and Marianne took over the work in
the tourist shop of the Saint John's.
Finally I was appointed as the custiodian and guide in one of
the most beautiful monuments in the Netherlands.
I discovered the enormous influence of Desiderius Erasmus
on the Gouda Windows and wrote the book 'The Secret of
Erasmus'. Later followed 'Costly Discoveries', Route
777 and 'Shakespeare is Here', which will soon be published
in English.
The 'Secret of Erasmus' is translated in German and English
The Gouda Windows are like a bible in glass and the secret of
this collection are the original cartoons or drawings.
You can also compare the Old Testament like the
cartoons of the New Testament. What you read in 'black and
white' in the Old Testament, you can admire in the New
Testament 'in color'.
For example, like the prophet Jonah was three days and
three nights in the belly of the fish, so would the Son of
Man be three days and three nights in the belly of the earth.
( Was Jesus buried on a Thursday instead of Friday?)
Stage 13
The title of the Painting 'Ni-Shalem' forms the crown on Jesus' head, meaning, 'It is accomplished or Shalom, Peace ' !
Sold
Solar Eclipse
Erasmus understood that the gospel is foolishness to them
who don't believe and he wrote the bestseller, 'Praise of
the Folly'. The Erasmus window in the Saint John's should
contain smileys or be placed in Cinema Gouda :-)
On Silly Saturday we celebrate Erasmus' birthday and I
made a new logo for Gouda with the quote of Erasmus,
'Homo Bulla', (man is like a bubble)
Say or © Gouda Cheese (copyright or right to copy?)
During lectures in South Africa, we spotted wild life
and during lectures in Australia, we saw the painting of
Hendrick Van Vliet, hanging in the National Gallery
in Melbourne. Due to Jos van der Biezen, there is a
remake in the Gouda Church now.
I had to be in a hospital bed looking upwards, to realise
that God had finally brought me to Australia.
He kept His Word and I had forgotten...shame on me !
Daughter Joelle showing the painting of Van Vliet Jos van der Biezen made a copy
Is Maurits Tompot now a pensioner or an easy rider in Total
Surrender?
Aleph-Taf
During lectures in America, we learned about The True Statue
of Liberty
and since I have learned how to swim in the ocean of His
Love, He still performs miracles every day.
Is it a miracle that I present this to you right now or is it
coincidence?
Next time I would like to present to you the secret of
the Pyramid of
Gizeh.
Video in Dutch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSZs8mpeGxs&t=12s
Please share the good news and thanks for your interest.
Shalom!
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