In the early 18th century there were 19 kings who were always at war with each other.  One called Tolamanu eventually defeated 16 of these kings. The two remaining ones, Foembura and Ndiihua, decided to sail to Batavia (Jakarta) and ask for help from the Dutch. They hoped the Dutch would give them magical power to defeat their enemy, and bring peace to Rote.  In 1729 they set out in small sailing boats to make the 2000 kilometre journey.  They took with them corn roasted in sugar, and hoped to collect drinking water, bananas and fish along the way.

Six months later, after battling currents and wind they arrived in Batavia. The only problem was that nobody spoke their language.  One day as they were wondering through the streets, a lady spoke to them. She saw their traditional clothing, and knew they were from Rote. She had once lived there until a sailor fell in love with her, married her immediately, and took her away on his boat.

The two kings with the help of the lady to interpret, went to the Dutch governor. He didn’t have the magic they needed, but he sent them to a Dutch missionary. Over time the two kings decided to believe in Jesus and were baptised.  They were given new names: Meshach and Zachariah.  They were so excited about their new faith that they left behind a number of their servants in Batavia as a sign of thanks.

The two kings and the missionary set out from Batavia, and arrived home in 1732. They had been away for three years.  In that same year they built the first church and Christian school on Rote in a village called Ti. The school and the church continued on in Rote. In fact, other schools on other islands were started because of teachers moving out from that first school.

Questions / Activities

1. On a map of Rote locate Baa (the capital), Nemberala (a well known surfing place), Termanu (a very prominent hill jutting into the ocean near Baa), and if you can, Ti (also spelt Thie, opposite the island of Ndana). Now draw this map into your book. 2. What kind of Christianity was imported to Rote? 3. What kind of society existed in Rote in the 1700s? 4. What attraction did schools have? How did they bring change to their sociey? 5. Imagine it is the year 1700 AD you are about to make a journey for 6 months in a small boat. You will be able to stop in at some islands, make a list of everything you will take with you, including numbers of people.

Extra Activities, Comprehension, Discussion and Research Questions

1. Trace the journey from Rote to present day Jakarta. How far is it exactly? If it took 6 months of sailing, what was their average speed?

2. Visit a local Indonesian social group (Church, Mosque, Cultural Association, Sports Team etc), and survey the members. Which islands did they come from? Why did they come?

3. Read John and Galatians from the Bible. Ask your Religion Teacher to explain it to you.

4. What kind of belief system did the Rotinese Kings have before their trip to Batavia?

5. Why did Foembura and Ndihua want Dutch help?

6. Supposing that the King’s conversion was sincere. What was the attraction of Christianity?

7. How does education change cultures?