April 20, 2009
“Will you join a friend and I for lunch?” asked Diane Garvin. Garvin introduced Alice Teisan, Founder of His Wheels International (HWI) in Wheaton, Illinois to Kilara Oruni, a 2003 Billy Graham Scholar and Founder of Missions of Agape Friends in Uganda, over lunch. Oruni is an indigenous missionary sent out to serve in Rwanda. Teisan shared that HWI’s is a Christian bicycle service ministry with the goal of providing bicycles and hand-pedaled three-wheeler (trike) expertise for the purpose of mobilzing God’s work worldwide.
Oruni shared the need for bicycle transportation for employees at Dayspring Primary School, begun in January, 2009 in Kigali, Rwanda. Teisan along with the 8th graders at Wheaton Christian Grammar School (WCGS) had just completed a service learning project. Students raised $835 through a book, toy and bicycle sale and were seeking God’s direction for where to buy bikes. Oruni, explained that bicycles would facilitate transportation for employees and serve as an important compensation benefit. Since it would take 20 months for the employees to pay off the bicycles, by having a small amount deducted from their monthly wages, this would provide stability for the school through these employees. In addition Dayspring could keep the bicycle program going. This was a perfect match for WCGS and Dayspring Primary School in Rwanda. Oruni thanked the WCGS participants. Afterwards a students asked, “how can we pray for you?” Students then gathered around and prayed for Oruni and his ministry. HWI donated $2,500 total for bicycles to be bought in Rwanda for Dayspring Primary School, and bicycles to be bought in Gulu, Uganda as a tool to help pastor’s plant churches.
In addition we are praying about the possibility of setting up a small trike manufacturing facility in Rwanda. Two other concerns of Oruni’s include a need to minister to those with disabilities, and also a way to start a teachchnical training program whereby Rwandans can learn a marketable skill. Kevin Nikolich, HWI’s consulting engineer and Oruni have spent time together touring our metal vendor’s facility along with Nikolich teaching Oruni how to weld and build a trike using our manufacturing fixtures. We are praying for a container headed to Rwanda where we could send the necessary equipment to make this dream a reality.
