The Craft Family
Serving in SE Asia
Bob, along with his wife Ramona, first left for SE Asia (Thailand) in 1979. After a year of Thai language study and culture adjustment, they worked among Thai people in north central Thailand before returning to the U.S. for a brief period of pastoral ministry and additional educational degree completion. Their three children (not pictured) have spent 15 years on the mission field and all graduated High School at Faith Academy in Manila, Philippines.
In 1988 Bob, Ramona and their children were appointed as missionaries to the Philippines and were assigned to the Western Visayan Islands. Their ministry focus was on pastoral leadership training and helping local churches develop effective evangelism strategies as well as church growth programs. During their last two and a half years in the Philippines, the Lord blessed local Philippine churches to organize evangelistic outreach to more than 200,000 people with more than 18,000 coming to know Christ as their Savior.
By January 2001 the Lord lead Bob and Ramona to serve throughout Southeast Asia by helping thousands of local churches have effective discipleship training programs and adequate scripture resources, such as Bibles, New Testaments and Bible study booklets. In June of 2007, Bob was invited to join the leadership team of NewGenerations International to coordinate ministry partnerships that focus on generating church planting movements within SE Asia.
Various Ministry Platforms
Evangelism & Discipleship Ministry
From the beginning of our missionary service, the Lord has given us the opportunity to partner with local believers and encourage them to find ways to share Christ and make disciples in their own context. We have worked in partnership with local believers on various types of discipleship and evangelism media whether in print, audio or film. The Lord has blessed these efforts by continually increasing the usability and impact of these tools in a variety of languages and contexts.
Campus and Community Ministry
The Craft family has been involved in launching various campus ministry programs using drug prevention videos and bible study booklets. These films are also shown in municipal parks and sports complexes, fostering good relationships with community officials and opening ministry access for local believers to share the gospel.
Compassionate Ministry
Frequent typhoons, earthquakes and even tsunamis sometimes wreak havoc across Southeast Asia. In obedience to Christ, we have served with local believers in various compassionate ministry projects such as disaster relief efforts, medical clinics and holistic child sponsorship programs.
Serving the Community
Bob's experience in construction and his education in biology helped open doors for access ministry. He has been involved in designing and building typhoon resistant community shelters as well as focusing on efforts to see local villages have access to safe drinking water.
