Merry Christmas,

Several days ago while walking along the streets of Hong Kong, and thinking about this message, I remember some of my special times at Christmas.  I hope you do not mind if I make this a little personal for myself.  I little background information will be helpful to understanding why I place such a high regard for Christmas as a Christian and tennis player.

I love my immediate family very much, unfortunately my parents were divorced when I was six.  I can not remember having a family Christmas together.  I can not remember my entire immediate family having a dinner together, giving gifts, or other activities people take for granted.  In fact I can not remember celebrating the holidays at all until I was in my late twenties.  As a young adult I was fortunate if I was invited to a friend's house.  Many holidays were spent alone practicing tennis.  After I became a Christian I wish I could say this all changed.   However, my family still celebrated by not celebrating.  I was invited more often to Christian friends.  However, it was not the same as a family.  I can say that what made the difference for me was having my wife to celebrate with.  During Christmas, 1985 I traveled on my first church mission trip to Mexico with Youth With a Mission.  Stopping at an orphanage in Monterey, I was overwhelmed by the situation:  110 children and 3 Christian workers.  Across the street was a well financed tennis club.  Taking my racquet over, I hit with the members' children.  I was surprised when I mentioned the orphanage and the children did not know anything about it.  At that moment I decided to give my life to the service of God and to show tennis players how to reach out to others in need.

Three months ago while flying to Hong Kong on a cloudless day I could look down on the Kamchatka Peninsula from 35,000 feet.  Not many people know where it is located, as during the Soviet era, it was a top secret naval base.  Its location is the most eastern part of the former Soviet Union.  I could look down on a very beautiful, volcanic, snow capped mountain region and coast line.  No towns, just one lonely road.  It looked totally desolate, but  I have found out recently, it is not.  With the collapse of the Soviet economy, what was once prosperous is now poor.  Perhaps this will help you remember this region, in 1983 a Korean Airliner was shot down by the Soviet airforce for violating their airspace, killing all aboard.  With the opening of this country, now we can fly over it freely and share the Gospel.  A thought came to me.  If it was God speaking to my heart I am not sure.

The still small voice said:  "Are there people down there?"
        My answer:  "I don’t see any towns."
"Yes, there are people down there."
        "Do they have tennis down there?"
"Yes."
        "How?"
The voice was silent.
        "Do they have believers down there?"
The voice came back, "Yes."

I did not need the answer for the tennis courts.  God has trained me to know that there are courts everywhere. Who is going to teach tennis and preach the Good News of Jesus there?  "Send me, Lord."

About 6 months ago, I went to northern India for evangelism.  As I looked out at Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world, I was reminded that the country in which it is located, Nepal, has a tennis federation.  "Lord, send me."

As I landed in India, and after a 4 hour jeep drive through mountains I came to the city I was invited.  Taking my tennis racquet, I found a rustic and in need of repair, tennis club that was built during the British occupation over 100 years ago.  The members have dwindled down to a few, but the city was ripe for a tennis program.  "Send me, Lord."

In 1992 I moved to Hong Kong and then mainland China.  I organized what has been called the first high school tennis program in China.  Over 180 attended the courses on temporary courts set up on the basketball courts.  Equipment was donated by Prince Sports.  For the next three years I labored in China with love.  Every Christmas I hosted a party for the children.  The first year, I saw no other Christmas trees besides mine in the city.  Interestingly in China, not one holiday exists were children receive gifts.  At my parties everyone gave a small gift to another.  Most importantly we always told the story of Jesus' birth, and the Christian meaning of the holiday.  I taught them meaningful holiday songs.  I had many tell me it was the best thing that ever happened in their life.  Many became believers. While my life has moved on, I often think back to my special friends and to the fact that they have been committed to God’s hands.  "Lord, thank you for sending me."

On December 25, My wife and I will exchange a gift and have dinner out.  I may also shed a tear as I think of people in lands that the Lord sees, loves and wants to send someone to.