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Blessings,
Rev. Bob Kraft
To those of you who are new to Tennis Ambassadors we welcome you. During the month of September we sent over 2100 emails to the following countries.
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Wales, Yugoslavia.
Here are some of the responses, with the location from each letter that we have received in the last month. We are excited to hear from you!
Dear Rev. Kraft,
Thanks, for your prompt reply. I am very interested in your ministry
because (perhaps) obviously, I am a Christian (currently one who's pretty
excited) and was very briefly a tennis professional. I was Singapore's
national singles and doubles champion in 1992, after which I played professionally..for
a short period before starting university..I would be pleased to hear your
view on..how you've been able to use tennis to evangelize. (Australia)
Dear…
Would you please send me a note regarding this and how I could be
of use to you. I do play tennis and have been a ranked tennis player for
many years. I am also a kidney transplant recipient and also a World Transplant
Games Champion in singles and doubles. (Canada)
Dear…Could you please send me more info on Christian Ministry Tennis. (England)
Dear…
Both my wife and I are tennis instructors at our local club and
we both love the game very much. We've both been brought up in Christian,
tennis-loving homes and tennis forms an integral part of our lives. I'm
the chairman at our local club and both my wife and I serve on the regional
provincial body..thank you for a wonderful newsletter and introduction..It
gave me great pleasure in reading what wonderful medium of spreading the
Gospel tennis is. I look forward to your next newsletter and would like
to stay on your newsletter's mailing list..you can be sure that I'll be
supporting you in prayer. (South Africa)
Dear…
I am interested in being a tennis ambassador. Please send me the
details!! (United Arab Emirates)
Dear…
Again I want to say how interested I am..I try to give my tennis
team the opportunity to know Jesus Christ. I hope to hear from you
soon. I am currently a coach at Wallace State College in Hanceville, Alabama..I
am a Christian and I meet with another tennis professional on Mondays for
Bible study. This sounds exciting. (College coach; USA, Alabama)
Dear…
I am truly interested in this project, in fact, it is so in line
with my own ministry, Luv All Tennis School that it caught my attention
right away! What a blessing it is to see other teaching professionals
gearing their programs and academies the same way!..(I am)Community Development
Coordinator of the United States Tennis Association USTA Southwest Section.
I am also a member of the United States Professional Tennis USPTA Association
and the United States Professional Tennis Registry USPTR.
I too anticipate tackling the non-profit status for my ministry, which
God boldly called me to do! God willing, the school will be built
on the south side of Phoenix. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Keep the faith. (USA, Arizona)
Dear…
thanks..I was excited to read this. I am a born-again Christian
since October 97. I have played the game for over 30 years and am
glad that tennis and Christ's love have joined forces.(USA, California)
Dear…
(I am) USPTA Vice President in the California Division. Let
me know how I may help you in your endeavors as I believe you are on the
right track. (USA, California)
Dear…
thanks for your newsletter. I will be anxious to hear more
about your ministry. Dennis Ralston, John Verde and I (Fernando Velasco)
organized a Bible group in Dallas Texas in the 1980's and met every Monday
for about 5years. We had as many as 30 pros and their wives participating.
It was wonderful meeting and sharing so many problems and challenges that
we met as tennis professionals. Unfortunately, our jobs directed
to different places -I went to Savannah, Dennis to Colorado and the group
disbanded. When my son Tony at the age of 22 years old (three years
ago) was having brain surgery..the group gathered with us and prayed for
his surgery and rehabilitation, which was successful. Since then,
I have moved to Boca Raton FL, and we are trying to start a class with
the tennis pros here. I hope and pray that we will succeed.
I enjoyed reading about your group in the last issue of Tennis Week Magazine..and
anything we can do to make it successful, please let me know. (USA, Florida)
Dear…We give pastors and their kids discounts on our lessons. (USA, Florida)
Dear …
This is an awesome letter. What an incredible ministry.
I have been playing tennis for 15 years, teaching for five and I have had
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for the last seven years.
I was a top junior in South Carolina and played college tennis at North
Carolina State University. I am a USPTA (P1) and USPTR (M1 pro) teaching
professional. I have worked for the United States Tennis Association/Southern
Section for the last 21/2 years. I am currently Director of USA School
Tennis and Programs Coordinator for North and South Carolina. In
this time I have conducted school assemblies in front of over 50,000 school
children..WE are very excited about what God is doing through athletics,
especially tennis..(USA, Georgia)
Dear…
God bless you . First. This is the second letter I have received
from you I am a very religious person and a person that has studied
the bible for many years and a firm believer..aloha. (USA Hawaii)
Greetings Bob,
We work with a variety of sports...taking sports teams to other
countries to share the Good News..like AIA. Our focus is primarily
Latin America. We have had inquiries re:tennis, but need the right
kind of contacts into the tennis world..do you know of some others in the
tennis world who would be open to ministry connections in Latin America.
Would you have a list of good tennis camps that have a solid Christian
witness?? (President, Sports & Cultural Exchange Int'l, USA, Illinois)
Dear…
Glad to read that Christianity is alive and well in the tennis world.
I'm sending email to request your on-going newsletter. (USA, Illinois)
Dear…
Thanks for the email. I read the attached letter, it all sounds
great! I am suprised at the extent of this ministry. I am very interested
in getting involved at any capacity..So if you think that you could use
me in any way, we could get together! I am not only a Head pro at an indoor
club , I also coach the Chesterton High School Tennis team every fall.
I would love to learn more about the ministry and maybe get something going
here in my area. Let me know how to take that next step! Your brother.
(USA, Indiana)
Dear…Hope things are going well! (Men’s Touring Pro, USA, Indiana)
Dear…
I read in the USPTA Advantage Magazine about Tennis Ambassadors
Christian Ministry. Please send information about it..(USA Louisiana)
Dear…
Although I am not Christian, I would still consider receiving your
first newsletter as long as it does not involve a long standing commitment
and is sent free of charge. (USA Missouri)
Dear…
Keep up the good work. I believe in my savior Jesus Christ
and in my Heavenly Father..I look forward to hearing from you again. (USA,
Missouri)
Dear…
would be interested in anything you have connecting tennis with
faith. I have several Christian’s on our tennis teams and had all but one
join me after we played on Palm Sunday at Washington University in front
of their chapel to have a service. I plan a devotions time each week..I
have given my life to Christ. I receive opportunities regularly to
pass on information to tennis players in local tournaments and college
players. I am sure I miss many, but pray to have my eyes opened.
I was published this past summer in our state FCA Newsletter and teach
at FCA camp..I knew about Michael Chang and Andre Agassi but not many of
the others you mentioned (in the September 15 newsletter). (College coach;
USA, Nebraska)
Dear…
Christian tennis ministry? Outstanding! Please send me more information
(USA, New Jersey)
Dear…
I work with Campus Life Ministries, an arm of Youth for Christ.
We are an evangelistic outreach ministry working with junior high and high
school students on their campuses. It is a deputation ministry so I support
my family by also teaching tennis lessons. I am a USPTA Master Pro and
have been recently led into youth ministry. I have been given a vision
to reach kids for Christ who will in turn be released to do the same thing.
I reach a lot of tennis players so Tennis Ambassadors Christian Ministry
sounds intriguing to me. (USA, North Carolina)
Dear…
It was great to read your last communication about Christians in
Tennis. I only wish we had Christians in more and more aspects of
life who were truly willing to stand up and be counted. God's blessings
to you. (USA, Ohio)
Dear…
I received an e-mail today on your aim of reaching the world's tennis
people for Christ using tennis as a medium. I am interested in this.
Please send me more info…USPTA/USPTR (USA, Oregon)
Dear…
It was interesting to read the information that you sent on world
class tennis players and their Christian faith. I have been in the
tennis business for 20 years now..and active in our local church in Lancaster,
PA. I coach tennis at the inner city high school and really love
to work with these children. It is so exciting to see the opportunities
that tennis presents to witness, talk and listen to these kids..(USA, Pennsylvania)
Dear…
Thank you so much for writing me. I appreciate hearing from
other believers in the tennis arena. I am the tennis coach for Webb High
School in Knoxville, TN. (USA, Tennessee)
Dear…
I would love to read your information. I have taught for 15 years.
Thanks for your time. (USA, Texas)
Dear…
Our ministry, Higher Ground Ministries, is a two year old organization
reaching out to kids 8-18. We began our first tennis camp this past summer
and with Christian coaches, are excited to be able to influence our youth.
We look forward to any and all information we might receive that will help
us present the Gospel to more people. (USA, Washington)
Dear…I don't mind getting e-mail..Keep me on the list. (USA, Washington)
We are an Internet based ministry whose goal is to assist you in networking with other believers worldwide. We believe that soon the Internet will become a primary link for communication around the world, just as television has become. We look forward to encouraging you as we share what others who love tennis have to say about their world through this exciting tool. For those of you who are interested in a relationship with a personal God, we hope that you will follow along each month as we share what others are doing and saying around the world.
Blessings,
Rev. Bob Kraft