The rainbow never sets

trouble with some books he had ordered from GMIT's bookshop in Kupang. He sold them to people, although he knew that they couldn't pay him.

"How are you ever going to pay the bookshop, if you don't get the money from your members?"

"Perhaps I shouldn't sell them any books," he agreed. "But this is evangelism, they should read them."

"Maybe you could lend them your books?" I suggested. Poor Agabus, it's so hard for a Timorese, or in his case a Sabunese, to say 'no' to people.

Tinus Saban's parish was at Oesuti in Bilba, at the other end of Rote, about 40 km over walking paths only. The motor bike was ideal for such a trip, but it was not easy to find the way. The path went up and down, sometimes over rocky ground, or through creeks, and sometimes through sand. I twice nearly came off, but did not hurt myself, as I was riding very slowly. It took me over two hours to get there. His problems were different from Agabus'.

He was firm on his salary demands, and had no financial problems. As he had several preaching places, he prepared the elders to help him preach. He set lectionary readings and sermon outlines for them as they were rather uneducated, he said, and wouldn't be much help without it.

Tinus was in a parish where the previous minister had been killed by one of the parishioners, who was still in jail. Apparently the conflict between the minister and elders had not been resolved peacefully, and tension had built up over some time until it eventually boiled over. The people were known for their violence, and Tinus was scared of them. I urged him not to shelve disagreements, but to work through them as they turned up. People are often violent because they feel hemmed in, but if he gave them the opportunity to talk things over, and plenty of time for that, he would find that they might come around to his way of thinking. Sometimes he should also give in to their demands, as authoritarian rule also contributed to violence.

In the evening there was a large gathering of people from his congregation. I took the opportunity to talk to them about the love of Christ, how he forgave people, and how we, as his followers, must do the same. I mentioned in passing that I had to give my usual lectures at Tarus the next morning, and that I would be leaving before sunrise for Baa and then by plane to Kupang airport, where Alison would pick me up and take me to Tarus, all within three hours. There was stunned silence.

"How can you do that?" they wanted to know. "It takes us at least two days to go to Kupang, if the wind and the tide is right."

The concept of having to rush to your next appointment, and the speed of motorbike and plane travelling was totally foreign to them, and completely incomprehensible. I pondered about it on my quick return, whether we have gained anything by rushing everywhere, and seldom

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