Online exhibition of paintings

from his book Highway 77

               a route beyond the horizon

English translation is under construction and to be published soon as E book

The autobiography has several stages like tokens of remembrance like 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

I was born in Djakarta on March 9, 1952 and the name printed on my birth announcement was Michiel. Just as Batavia, since the independence changed to Djakarta and later to Jakarta, my name Michiel became Maurits Rolff. I discovered that the director of the timber trade in Utrecht, father worked for, was called Maurits.

In Kebajoran, Block O II, family Tompot lived in a spacious bungalow and the colonial life was comfortable. 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 store our dinky toys in it.

One morning, baboe Attemie brought me by the hand into the room with the rattan chairs, where mother often sat behind her treadle sewing machine. The servant cleared her throat loudly, saying in a high-pitched voice, 'Madam, here is your son Maurits!'  Mother looked up with furrowed brows at Attemie who was wide-eyed and with one finger in front of her mouth. With her other hand she pointed to the bottom of the curtain, where a man’s brown feet protruded. Without any hesitation, mother grabbed a pair of scissors and yanked the curtain aside. The person, most likely a burglar, was startled and fled. Mother pulled me towards herself and lifted me up. Sobbing with fright, I asked why the 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, gardeners were often hidden between the banana and pineapple trees.

A few months later, 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.

The President of the new Republic, Sukarno, wanted to liberate Indonesia from foreigners. Becoming a dictator, intimidation and burglaries were increasing.

After father's long urging, 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, I 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 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. Nature still inspires me.

I learned that the sea didn't teach me how to swim, the secret of life must be told.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           sold  

Stage 3

The family moved to Brussels in Belgium

  sold

Life smiled upon us, until Father passed away a week after Pentacost in 1966.

We children were not allowed to attend the funeral.

I have waited many years for him.

Sold

Stage 4 

After seven years the Tompots returned to Gouda in the

Netherlands.

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 Israel with only ten guilders and a motorbike, but to

leave the country, I needed money.

I could work as a bit player in the movie 'Jesus Christ

Superstar' and 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

truth in India. If not, I would travel to Australia, start a

weed plantation to 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?

Peter and Dorothy Lane, like the good Samaritans, took me

into their home for seven weeks, free of charge.

They told me the good news...

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?'

I made a deal with the God of Israel, who's name is

Jesus. He would bring me to Australia.

First, I had to return to the Netherlands and like the prodigal

son, I came home. I wanted to know everything about

the bible and 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.

The taching 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlZ72b_dOSo&feature=emb_share&fbclid=IwAR2T134lnKjmPNiYPauTKtDB69PAGa8OSezI_kG4-Bl5qoyInBbWedhQPjY

Please share the good news and thanks for your interest.

Shalom!