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It all started with tennis. Hundreds of school age children receiving great joy and later persecution. I lead them into this life.
Perhaps you have heard that citizens of China are free to practice their religious faith. This is true, but it comes with a price. At this very moment Christians in China are being denied school positions for their children, promotions in their work place, employment in government and for those who are bold enough to publicity share their faith with others, prison and death. This is their story and these are my friends.
Taking with me the gifts that God had given to me, I moved to China from my homeland the USA in 1993. Bringing few possessions, I could count among these my love for others, my belief in Christ and my tennis.
In 1993, I started the first tennis program in China outside of a university, in this case a middle school and high school. The school, students and I labored unceasingly as we turned concrete basketball courts and volleyball nets into tennis courts. Later, as we ran out of courts for additional children we scratched the lines into the dirt next to the basketball courts, and strung volleyball nets between poles. Like the Prophet in the Bible, Nehemiah, we labored with what little equipment we had, a willingness to work, a determination to succeed and friendship. With this teamwork we worked, played and practiced in driving rain or shearing sun. Those first months saw over 100 children, and later many more took aim for the trophy that came with their first tournament. While each child set their sight on the trophy, I set my eyes on each child receiving the prize of life, a relationship with Christ.
As I walked through this city of 100,000 in southern China, I would see the same children showing their brothers and sisters how to hit a tennis ball against a wall. Often the poorest children would take the racquets I provided home for the weekend. Later as I traveled outside of this city with a population base of one million, I would see children I did not know practicing. Amazingly the children I had taught were taking this game to their friends in the surrounding towns.
I never lost the fact however that tennis was just a small part in the game of life. I instinctively sensed that each child also knew while tennis was great fun, it was not the most important aspect of life. Surviving in a hostile land was everyone's true concern in China, from adult to child. I looked for every opportunity to tell them about the importance of Christ in their life.
My first Christmas in China is the real story. As I looked out from my provided apartment that was in a high-rise building, I could see almost the entire city. I could not see one Christmas tree or light in any window. As I walked through the streets I could not see one sign of Christmas and I did not hear one Christmas song. I saw not one nativity scene or picture of Christ. Oh, I was sad.
I came as quite a surprise that first Christmas when I was asked by the Education Department to sing Christmas songs at a meeting for the school children of the entire city, numbering over 5000. I called upon some Christian friends from outside China and as good friends always will, they came. 5 friends sing a series of English Christian Christmas songs, that all of us learned so easily in childhood. One comes to mind now, “Oh Come All Yea Faithful”. The only gift I could offer to Christ that season was a song that was sung with a Chinese translation, given with joy and love towards those receiving it. This song was the only gift I was assured they could comprehend. I gave my best to Christ that season and He gave me a greater gift in return, the memory!
Later, I can not remember if it was that first Christmas or a following year, I found another gift I had in my possession to give. A Christmas party for my tennis students. Over the period of the proceeding months, I had been introducing them one by one, into a relationship with Christ. I purchased a Christmas tree and decorations at an export factory nearby. I hung the lights, erected the lone tree and put it in my front window for the entire city to gaze at. Now I needed two additional items. Gifts and the message of Christ.
In China, children never celebrate a holiday with a giving or receiving of presents. I arranged that each person bring a gift that was to be given randomly to another student in attendance. The cost of the gift was so small that each could easily afford it. If one could not afford it, I provided it for them. No one was turned away. Lastly working with students we put together a play showing the birth of Christ and a medley of Christmas songs. I wish you had been there. No gift could ever replace what I saw that night, as each student opened the first wrapped gift they had ever received. One students comment summed it all up, “ this is the happiest I have ever been in my life”.
From these small beginning we grew into a party every year that I was there. You can be confident the Lord moved, just as he did in tennis. Each of the following years the children organized more and more of the activities. Year round, unknown children were coming to my door asking to participate. In a similar way that we built additional tennis courts in the dirt, we just added an additional party.
While I was not able to remain in China to see if these children expanded this celebration to other cities, I do know that many of my tennis children received Christ as their personal Savior.
The hardest part of this for me was that I had to move from mainland China. As multitudes became believers in Christ, it attracted the attention of the government. I can shut my eyes now and I still have those memories of hundreds of children singing praises to God and thousands listening.
The students, where are they now? I made a heartrending decision to not stay in contact with them after I left. The government authorities were monitoring their activities closely. Frankly I can not know the impact that these hundreds of life's had for Christ. I do know that Christ was introduced to thousands of children and ten of thousands of adults through Bible distribution. Knowing them as I did, I am certain that God is using many of them greatly. More than likely these same ones are suffering just like those I do know about. The police have harassed many, one has been put in jail for his faith, and one has started a house church. I really think that those who attended were never the same, no matter what their commitment in Christ was. I know I never will be either! Some of you reading this will also be given the opportunity from God to never be the same and feel the calling to serve in a far away land.
You also can experience great joy in Christ. Once the tennis kids
in China knew the joy of Christ they were not willing to give it up.
If you do not know Christ as your Savior, you can very easily. Just
turn your life over to his control. Says this simple prayer: "Lord
use me and fill me. I turn my life over to you. Amen."
Rev. Bob Kraft
Love to Serve Newsletter Copyright 2000