Facebook October 2010 archive

A family that has taken tennis lessons with me for a long time in Hong Kong asked me to coach their kids while I am in town.

October 29, 2010 at 9:15 am

This week 12 hours of lessons as it is a week long school holiday. As the courts in Hong Kong where I coach are to be torn down soon I will go until they are removed. Maybe lessons one day a week for a minimum of 3 hrs. (that is what God has provided) the rest full time on keeping the tennis ministry in all its various aspects growing.  I consider this a gift from God for my family provision and an answer to my prayers. 

I still like coaching tennis to kids after 40 years of doing this.

Hydi Peterson May God grant you a day full of blessing. I am off to the courts myself!
October 29, 2010 at 11:49 am

Dreaming about Roger Federer.

October 28, 2010 at 5:10 pm

I had a few hours of tennis lessons today and came home for a nap.  Dreamed.  I told Roger 'I am not sure when is the last time I will see you, but I did the best that I could. I spent 100,000 to do this. Why?  When a person accepts Christ they, their children and the future generations are changed forever.'  Then I woke up. 

I prayed for Roger, his family and his future generations.  Remember to pray for those you dream, think or see on tv. Everyone needs prayers.

Watching a men's pro tennis match from Austria on the Internet at 12:45am.

October 28, 2010 at 12:44 am

I am in Hong Kong and most importantly to me with my family and the player I am alongside is in Vienna.   I am analyzing the match via the stats and watching the points.  I know his game very well, we also have spoken extensively in person on a plan and strategy for improvement and then I will give follow up advice to the player.  

Giving advice on how to excel in your own game is much different than me giving advice on how to beat a specific player.  I am actually for improvement and not who wins or loses.  That takes care of itself based upon a number of factors including improvement.  It seems to me this is a good Christ centered, loving, kind way rather by basing a relationship on beating another for your specfic gratification.  We need to care and want the best for all. 

We both have a common bond of loving the Church and God.  Then we combine our individual abilities that we recognize as a gift from God (he as a player and myself as a tennis coach and Pastor).

Wednesday is staff meeting day in Hong Kong.

October 27, 2010 at 3:14 pm

Today is all prayer for both our current and upcoming ministry projects and our personal needs.

Last night dreamed about the Thailand Open and a women's player Bethany Mattek-Sands as she played in it.

October 27, 2010 at 10:11 am

Remember to pray for all players and tournaments you think, dream about or even watch on tv. The may need a prayer at that very moment.

Today was my day in our home church in Sha Tin, Hong Kong.

October 24, 2010 at 10:34 pm

I have not been to church in 3 weeks as I was traveling in China and it was difficult if not dangerous to find one.   I left on Sunday for mainland China and was there for 2 Sundays.  At this point in time I was not able to find a nearby church in either Beijing or Shanghai.  I did not see any church buildings as I passed by on the streets of Beijing.  In Shanghai I did see very high old buildings that were obviously a church.  I did not see any crosses representing a church but did see very large steeples. My Hong Kong church a lively and wonderful fellowship of local believers, Link: http://www.elimchurch.org/

Julia Mead I forgot...do you live in Sha Tin or Tai Po ? Do you now live too far away from Balcombs church?...I heard they moved to the western side of Kowloon....near the road to the new airport. Is that right?
November 1, 2010 at 2:05 pm

Bob Kraft We live in Tai Po. Yes, we live to far from Revival Church but our new church is also wonderful. Great for the children. Revival (Balcombe) did move but not exactly near the airport but in that direction.
November 1, 2010 at 2:08 pm

I am always amazed that very few people understand the circumstances of the church in mainland China.

October 24, 2010 at 6:28 pm

1. China government is communist. 2. Communism requires that a person who is a member of the party to not believe in God. 3. China government allows freedom for religion but has severe restrictions placed upon those who practice religion - such as no government jobs or university study for those who practice. 4. China law allows a person to be put into jail for up to one year with no charges and this is often used against Christians who practice outside of the official government church. 5. The official government church known as the 3 self church has approximately 4 million members. 6. The house churches has approximately 100 million plus members who meet quitely and often secretly in home. 7. Prison sentences and sometimes death does occur to house church members especially Pastors. 8. Government churches teach a social welfare message of Christ, be a good citizen and obey authorities. 9. House churches teach miracles such as the virgin birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 10. The 3 self church does not teach any miricles. 11. Usually church services of both the 3 self and the house has plain clothes agents of the governement taking notes. 

As I spoke to Chinese people in both Beijing and Shanghai they always thought of being a Christian as attending a state sponsored large church building as being a Christian. I explained what represents (Christ) and not what it is represented by (the building). 

One young man in Shanghai explained to me that on the state owned television channel people can often see churches in the programs such as movies made outside of China and know that it is important outside of China. He asked me many questions and explained he wanted that choice. Another young man in Beijing told me he was ready to accept Christ as we spoke about what that means and he prayed to receive Christ. The youth of China are ready!

Alison To Thank you very much for your sharing. I feel shameful that I am a Chinese but know about Chinese churches in mainland China less than you !
October 25, 2010 at 8:52 am

Bob Kraft Hi Alison, feel free to ask me any questions. I have been involved with China ministry since 1985.
October 26, 2010 at 5:25 pm

Amadeo Juachon keep it going bob. you are reaping many rewards upstairs already with the almighty GOD.
October 27, 2010 at 8:13 am

Julia Mead Bob, your message about the church in China was so well-written.Thank you for it...a good reminder of our Chinese brethren's needs...although I still have my PRAY FOR CHINA map on my wall! I'm so excited that you made yourself available to pray with those people you met who had hungry hearts. I recall being in the 3 self church in Guangzhou back in '86 and yes, guards sat in the back row, but they were dressed in red guard uniforms. It was surreal....
November 1, 2010 at 2:01 pm

One thing you notice immediately about Beijing is that the city has many tall and beautiful modern buildings.

October 23, 2010 at 10:43 pm

At night they are all lit up with different colored lights.  The building are not close together and have plenty of space around them, either green areas or wide boulevards.   As you take a taxi around the city it is obvious that people are very relaxed here and at night you often see young and old couples in the park with music and dancing.  The older couples do swing dancing. 

Cars are another surprise with the streets full of vehicles.  Rarely do you see people riding bikes.  The cars tend to be the most expensive cars such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW's.  I attribute this to the fact the city is mostly made of communist party government workers and state supported companies with fat expense accounts.  You see very few low to middle priced cars; which I took to mean that the city does not really have a middle class - such as I saw in Shanghai.  

Walking in the day or night time in this city and you feel safe.  Seems as if crime is minimal here.  People are friendly to foreigners and smile as you walk by.  I stayed in a friends 1 bedroom apartment in the city center of Beijing.  I was told that it rents for about $500 a month.  As is typical in China most of a persons salary is spent on housing.    All in all a good trip and taking a taxi around to the major highlights of the city would cost about 20USD.  I am definitely planning on returning to Beijing.

Alison To I don't feel BJ is as safe as you said. But I guess BJ is better than Shenzhen, which we always said girls must not go there alone.
October 25, 2010 at 8:55 am

Bob Kraft I went out often at night in Beijing and saw people walking around and also single girls. Seemed ok to me. But like everywhere in China you have to be careful and wise. Maybe has to do with the location of the city you are in also. All in all, was a nice walking experience around that city.
October 27, 2010 at 4:05 pm

2 nights ago dreamed about retired pro tennis players, Martina Navratilova, Gretchen Magers and Chip Hooper.

October 23, 2010 at 5:33 pm

1 day ago prayed about the US Open and 2 men's pros and today an ATP administrator; Thomas.   I woke up and prayed for them.  

Remember to pray for those you think about, dream about or see on tv. They may need your prayers at that very moment.

Julia Mead Bob, thats so cool...a good reminder to all of us that God tries to get our attention (to pray for someone) thru many different avenues...He has used dreams on me many times. I think He uses sleep time because it's the only time we have slowed up enough for Him to get our attention.
October 24, 2010 at 2:53 am

Stephan Medem ..solid sleep..got up...packed my dogs and went for a fantastic walk..no..comment!!!
October 24, 2010 at 6:45 am

My order of discussion this upcoming week will be Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong.

October 21, 2010 at 8:36 pm

The China Open in Beijing is a joint men's and women's tennis event.  The facilities are very good but not incredible.  Seating in the main stadiums can run upwards of 10,000 with an even new larger stadium being build.  Courts number about 25 with no indoor courts.  Not all the top ranked players were there but about 1/3 were. 

For me it was a matter of a 3 hour flight from my home in Hong Kong, the same time zone and the costs of transportation being less expensive than a long overseas flight.  In fact the 2.5 weeks of ministry in both mainland China cities including all expenses ran at about $800USD.  (I only trusted God for my provisions.) 

Beijing people were friendly, honest and ran the tournament in a way that made a player feel welcome regardless of if they had won or lost in the tournament.  All guests were made to feel welcome.  The worst aspect was the air pollution which was like a heavy fog night and day.  That almost makes me not want to go back but all the other good aspects make up for it.  

If a trip to Beijing is on your agenda I suggest going during the tournament time and then add in the extremely low cost for taxis to see the main highlights of the city such as the Forbidden city, Tiananmen Square and the Summer Place.

Ministry = responsibility.

October 21, 2010 at 2:34 pm

I am going over the many bills from the US summer ministry trips (July to September). Matching receipts with the credit card statements. Not surprising to me 3 charges from Michigan that I did not make for several hundred dollars. Seems as if today it is common that someone steals your card numbers and charges. That card was stopped while I was in the US due to suspicious activity. May God allow that person to be caught.

Claire Walton That's awful, Bob. I had that happen to me earlier this year. I will be praying that your bank will be helpful and that your $$$ can be reimbursed quickly.
October 22, 2010 at 11:40 am

Alison To Oh No ! I will pray for you.
October 25, 2010 at 8:58 am

Last night dreamed about World number 1 doubles players.

October 21, 2010 at 9:25 am

The Bryan Brothers, Mike and Bob. - Remember to pray for those players you watch on tv, think about or even dream about.  That may be God prompting you to pray for a need they may have at that very moment.

A few days ago I dreamed about 2 ATP doubles players.

October 20, 2010 at 3:41 pm

 I wake up immediately after the dream and then commit them to prayer.  I believe that a person needs prayer at the very moment that I am dreaming about them.  I pray frequently and almost exclusively about pro tennis players.  

I asked God many years ago to dream about others as they had need at that very moment, wake me up and I would pray for them. 

Now..I sleep, dream, wake up, pray and then return to a sound sleep.  Please do pray for any players you see on tv, think or even dream about.  It will help them. 

The past 3 weeks- Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, China.

October 20, 2010 at 10:16 am

My first visit to Hong Kong and mainland China was in 1985 as a young Christian missionary. I moved to southern mainland China from 1992-96 taking tennis along with me as a ministry. While today it seems to me I live around the world traveling alongside the ATP tennis tour as a Pastor/Coach. I have lived as a resident in Hong Kong since 1996 until today. 

Hong Kong in the south, Beijing in the north and Shanghai in the northeast of mainland China are much different. Hong Kong, prior to July 1, 1997 was a British protectorate. Hong Kong is now under Communist rule of China which has greatly influenced the society in such areas as politics, the economy and education. Striking contrasts between all 3 cities and it will be interesting for me to share with you on FB posts this week what I sensed as an old China 'hand'.

Susan Nardi Will be praying for you! Jared says hi.
October 20, 2010 at 10:45 am

Alison To Hong Kong is now a special administrative region of PRC. So in polictical terms we are called " HKSAR " . We call the political system here " one country, 2 systems ", meaning hk belongs to PRC, but is ran under not PRC law, but The Basic Law which was drafted especially for HK.
October 25, 2010 at 9:02 am

Arrived back in Hong Kong safe and sound...mainland China was interesting.

October 19, 2010 at 4:51 pm

Arrived at 1pm on Monday, then taking Tuesday off and spending all day with the family.  I want to write on my experiences in China this upcoming week.  First hand. Link: http://www.shanghairolexmasters.com/

Stephen O'Malley well Bob that means you maybe missed australia win the silver, and bronze in the men's commonwealth games tennis (and Gold in the doubles)
October 19, 2010 at 6:50 pm

Bob Kraft I did not know that. Great for AU.
October 19, 2010 at 7:19 pm

Stephen O'Malley Somdev Devvarman gold, greg jones silver, matt ebden bronze. Peter luczak and paul hanley Gold in the doubles
October 19, 2010 at 7:25 pm

Alison To See you on Sunday !
October 19, 2010 at 7:46 pm

Claire Walton Glad you are back safe and sound. Look forward to reading about your experiences.
October 20, 2010 at 10:37 am

Alison To Very happy to see you yesterday at Elim !
October 25, 2010 at 9:03 am

See how schools in Hong Kong which she attends have been influenced by a Communist nation.

October 2, 2010 at 4:56 am

My daughter who is 8 years old, speaks fluent English and Chinese and told me tonight that the reason China build a wall around the borders is to keep the Americans from attacking it.  I explained to her that the reason is China did it to keep the people in. 

I then discussed with her as to how people live in mainland China versus Hong Kong.  A light went on with her and she stated 'that is not right'.  Praise God for Godly parents who explain worldly matters to their children.

Tonight I sat down with my 8 year old daughter and explained the reality of Christians living in China .

October 2, 2010 at 2:06 am

And those who bring the message and love of Christ to those in this restricted nation.  She asked question after question. Her last comment before she went to bed at midnight was Dad make sure you take a picture of our family and you can look at it if you are detained. 

Please do pray for me as I pass into a very restricted nation October 2nd at 10am (China time) Upwards of 100 million are believers in Christ in mainland China and very few of them can practice faith freely. Of these 100 million+ the majority are persecuted for practicing a faith centered on Christ. Peace be with you as you meditate on this!

Joel Ho i will pray for you. Everything will go soomthly!
October 2, 2010 at 2:36 am

Anita McDaniel Will be praying also. There are so many freedoms we take for granted in the US.
October 2, 2010 at 6:21 am

Alison To Will pray for you !!
October 2, 2010 at 8:21 am

Rose Liu aaah! Ashley's comments is soooo sweet.
October 2, 2010 at 10:47 pm

Having a Saturday afternoon clinic with 30 of top China juniors in Beijing, China tomorrow.

October 1, 2010 at 9:49 pm

Then Sunday after church service I am with the top men's and women's players in the world - The China Open.  It doesn't get much better than this for a missionary who has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to the Chinese speaking world and the ATP/WTA tennis players for the past 15 years.

Going Bike riding in Hong Kong with my family. Last day in Hong Kong before I leave for Beijing, China at 5am tomorrow.

October 1, 2010 at 11:08 am

Last time I went bike riding with daughter Ashley she feel off her bike and broke her arm.  I am positive that God will give us a great experience today and commit that to prayer now.  Riding along the water front and eating lunch out.  My family deserves a great time such as this as I travel for the Gospel's sake and it is important that we all enjoy times such as this.  I will try and post a photo if I can figure out how to upload from my camera directly.

Busy day. Changing money for 3 currencies. Getting ready to go into mainland China.

October 1, 2010 at 9:53 am

I am well known for my ministry work there dating back to the early 1990's and the 10,000's the work impacted. The authorities paid close attention. Your prayers would be appreciated for the next 2.5 weeks. Did you know that all social networking sites such as Facebook, Mulitply are blocked in China?

Karen Kraft Sparks I will be praying for you.
October 1, 2010 at 10:39 am

Bob Kraft Thanks Big Sis. Means a lot. Little Robbie.
October 1, 2010 at 11:00 am

John Kraemer Travel safe and have success!

October 1, 2010 at 1:46 pm

Claire Walton You've got my prayers!
October 1, 2010 at 6:32 pm

Claire Walton Travel mercies and prayers for grace and protection.
October 1, 2010 at 6:36 pm