The rainbow never sets

On my return Alison had some wonderful news waiting for me. She was pregnant again, and the due date was to be on Christmas day. By then my studies for the year would be over and I would be able to help with the family.

Alison developed complications with this pregnancy. Tests showed that she had developed Rh factor antibodies in her blood, but we were told that, provided she didn't go full term, there should be no problem. She was induced on 11 December 1967, at the Royal North Shore Hospital. I couldn't stay with Alison, as I had the three boys to look after. I was disappointed that I couldn't be with her until her labour started, as I had done with the others, but there was no way I could have left our three lively boys in anybody's charge for an unknown time. Alison phoned me about lunch time that her contractions had started, and in the afternoon I had a phone call from one of the sisters with the unbelievable news, that we had a daughter. We both were quite sure that it would be another boy, but what wonderful news this was! I left our three boys with the neighbours, and drove straight to the hospital to greet our Margaret Alison.

Early in 1966 I had gone to the office of the Board of Mission in the Margaret Street building. The Superintendent was Rev. Jim Stuckey. I asked him then: "Are there any vacancies in the mission field?"

"Yes," he replied, "There is one in particular which we would like to fill."

"Where is that?" "In Timor, Indonesia. We had Colville Crowe there till 1962, but since then it has been vacant."

"What will I have to do to apply for that position?" "Tell me first, when you will be ordained?"

"In about three years. I'm in my first year." "Well, you're certainly keen, but we can't do anything until, say, your final year. Come back then and we'll have another chat. You never know, the position may be waiting for you."

And it did. When I returned early in 1968, it was still vacant, and Jim told me that it was not likely to be filled by the end of that year. If I still wanted to go there, I should learn some Indonesian in the meantime. I enrolled at Sydney University for an elementary course in Indonesian.

Our language tutor was Yunedi Ichsan, and we were encouraged to use their wonderful language laboratory. I found Indonesian fairly easy to learn, and I again used my travelling time to learn the vocabulary. I practised intensively at the laboratory in my spare time, especially on the right pronunciation and I made good progress. A fellow student, Jeff Robinson, would sometimes come home with me, and our children became very fond of him. Jeff, Max Lane, another student of Indonesian, and I would often sit together and share notes.

Apart from my final year study of Theology and the full University course of Indonesian, I still had enough time to participate in some of the

314