A Tennis Missionary remembers

Prayer Center for Tennis Missions

While in Saint Louis, Missouri, which is located smack in the middle of the population center of the US - I will spend time looking for land to put up a prayer and missionary training base for tennis ministry.  I will personally use it a few months out of the year but it will be available to others to use year round to pray or help to renovate it.  It may be one acre, it may be five or even twenty - but it will be what I can afford with cash in hand at the moment of purchase.

I have been looking for over ten years and I feel the time is very close to the actual property becoming a reality.

 

Many students across the USA want to be encouraged on how to use their tennis for reaching others for Christ and they also want to know and understand how to live a God given life.

My vision is within twenty years to see a place that people can pray, stay at a place that they can learn from pastors and missionaries who have unselfishly served others and have the opportunity to play tennis.  Read more on the trip (Saint Louis, Missouri) at Bob's Site.

Please pray for this trip.

Saint Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri USA - I arrive Sunday March 29th.  Looking forward to staying with my Uncle and Aunt and then traveling by car the two hours to see my 82 year old Mother and my two sisters in central Illinois. 

While I was at the Australian Open in January, I received a phone call from my sister saying that the Doctor had told her to gather the immediate family around the bedside as Mom was not expected to live through the night.  Miraculously she recovered.  I look forward to see her as being on a foreign mission field (Hong Kong) for close to twenty years, I truly have missed spending time with my immediate family.

Read more on the St. Louis trip (Prayer Center for Tennis Missions) at the Daily Verse site.

Weekly Verse - March 23, 2009

MONDAY: Do not let this Book of the Law (The Bible) depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night…be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be…successful. - Joshua 1:8
Your attitude needs to be constantly checked and adjusted. Have you checked yours lately?

TUESDAY: The God of all grace, who called you…after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. - 1 Peter 5:10
Don’t let what’s going on around you today sabotage what God’s doing within you. Your outlook is usually colored by the present.

WEDNESDAY: Consider Him (Christ) who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:3
Run in your life until you get your second wind! The first part may be painful, but the last part will be joyful as you cross the finish line.

THURSDAY: Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain…for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. - Isaiah 40:4,5
Today is only temporal. Whatever you’re going through at the moment, expect a turn around.

FRIDAY: The sun rose above as he passed Peniel, and he was limping. - Genesis 32:31
Jacob was a runner. Finally, when he could run away from people or situations no more, he came face to face with God at Peniel. For many of us, that’s the way it is or was. One thing and one thing only - who’s in charge of your life God or yourself? When God subdued Jacob and knocked his hip out of joint, He was saying, "Your running days are over. Your limp will be a constant reminder of your total dependency on Me."

SATURDAY: I am focusing all my energies on this one thing. - Philippians 3:13
Anyone who’s ever made a difference started with a dream that eventually became their life’s obsession. Mine is to preach and teach God’s Word from the Bible into the hands of every tennis player that I can, during my lifetime!

SUNDAY: Don't let anyone think little of you because. - 1 Timothy 4:12
"How can I know my dream is of God?" Because it will always bless and benefit others. If your dream is to live in a castle and accumulate a fortune for yourself - don’t count on God to go into business with you. 

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Latest blogs (click on the link)

Mar 17

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A great 'Hong Kong' week (the short version)

MUSIC VIDEO: 'We are the Reason" David Meece -English and Dutchtv subtitles 1991 (4/4)

Websites:
tennisministry.org
dailyverse.multiply.com
bobkraft.multiply.com
tmi.typepad.com
hktennisministry.multiply.com

A great 'Hong Kong' week (the short version)

This week has been great.  But it almost always is for me!

1 day a week (Sunday) - I went to a fabulous church service that I enjoy very much.  It is especially great to see my young children enjoying it.
Elim Full Gospel Church located at City One, Sha Tin.

1 day a week (Sunday) - As a family we go out to Sunday brunch.

1 day a week (Wednesday) - I attend my evening church house cell group with 8 others from multiple nations.

1 day a week (Friday) - I attend a evening prayer meeting with about 30 others at my church.

1 day a week - I meet my good friend, David who is a Bible College professor and we get into a several hour discussion on theological issues.

3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Friday) I meet with my co-worker, Ryan Chan who is a native of Hong Kong and we plan the ministry and coach tennis together.

5 times a week (Monday to Saturday) I coach tennis a few hours a week.

Isn't life great!

The latest post: MUSIC VIDEO: "It's all Yours' by Steven Curtis Chapman
Websites:
www.tennisministry.org
http://dailyverse.multiply.com
http://bobkraft.multiply.com
http://hktennisministry.multiply.com
tmi.typepad.com

Seeing good in all circumstances - Philippines - deaths of humanitarian aid workers

What does 'Seeing good in all circumstances' have to do with tennis ministry. As a tennis player and coach, I go everywhere and carry my tennis racket and a few balls...these are a part of me as my right and left hand are parts of my body.  I try and use this gift of tennis that I have to help others and any trip that I take is no different whether I was a young unmarried adult or today's middle-age married person...and yes sometimes I or those I am with are at risk of being harmed for helping others.

In 1985 I went to Daveo City - a town in southern Philippines.  I went to feed the poor, help the sick and encourage others in an area that saw death on a daily basis. 

Alas after seven days - it was time to leave Daveo City and return to Manila.  Saying goodbye to the two Filipino house helpers who had taken such good care of our team of five - we departed for the afternoon flight.  From that moment on - we did not know much about what happened until weeks later.  The New Zealand family whose house we had stayed in returned that night from a trip abroad.  The next afternoon the wife, the daughter and the two domestic helpers - all who were Christians - were murdered in the house.  I do not know if they were targeted for being Christians?  What I do know is that they were doing work in helping those in dire need of food, health care and concern,  the husband was spared as he was out of the house and our group of five who had just left the day before - were spared.

I gave tennis clinics and played against the top player (yes, that was in my younger days) and shared the love and meaning of Christ with those hundreds who watched - this is religious freedom.  I gave my personal testimony about how my life was changed by trusting in Christ to businessman groups mainly made up of Muslim's - I spoke as to my own life and it was welcomed and well received.   I encouraged and helped the Christians who lived there - could I do nothing less to good, kind, hardworking people.  We encouraged and helped all who lived in this area - all people of all beliefs deserve loving kindness.  We gave food to those who needed it and we spoke to those who asked us to speak - willingly, welcomed and without compulsion.

I personally choose to not harm and care for others - as by His example Christ loved and cared for others.

Weekly Verse - March 9, 2009

MONDAY:  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. - Ephesians 6:18
As you learn to pray that way, your complexes will vanish and you'll grow in confidence. Your past failures will be dealt a decisive blow, you'll learn how to forget what's behind and reach for what's ahead.

TUESDAY:  Jude says we build ourselves up as we pray in the Holy Spirit. - Jude 20
When this happens, every weak area in your structure will be braced and fortified, then you'll be able to stand strong.

WEDNESDAY:  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. - 1 Corinthians 15:19
There's more! It's called heaven and it's "better by far" than anything you've ever known in this life.

THURSDAY:  I will behold Your (Christ) face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness. - Psalm 17:15
Can you imagine serving the One (God) in Heaven you love perfectly, doing the thing you enjoy pre-eminently and doing it in a body that's forever energised? That's heaven!

FRIDAY:  For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it. - James 1:3-4
You can always tell when you're on the road to success - its uphill all the way."

SATURDAY:  Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:8
Love is not the slave of your emotions or the victim of your circumstances - it's the servant of your will! That's right; love is a decision.

SUNDAY:  This is My (Christ) commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. - John 15:12
Now, if He commands it - then He'll enable you to do it!  Be patient. It will take you time to get there, but anything that's worthwhile is worth working for. Right?

Recent Blog's Online click on the link: 
Seeing good in all circumstances - Tsunami - Lest we forget.
MUSIC VIDEO: Jaci Velasquez solo tu live concert Guatemala (Spanish)
TENNIS VIDEO: 2000 AUSTRALIAN OPEN Agassi def. Sampras Semifinal

Our websites:
www.tennisministry.org
http://dailyverse.multiply.com
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