Brainstorming with UIC Students

Today 7 University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) students came to HWI office to gather information for the US trike feasibility study they are doing for us as a class project. I (Alice) thought they were Masters level students but today I learned they are all undergraduates completing their degree in kinesiology, the same degree I got from UIC back in 1990.

Our trike team spent 3 hours answering their questions, telling how our trike division evolved and when their brains were spinning from all the technical information I got to share my personal story and give God the glory. The energy, enthusiasm, excitement, and interest they had for the project was electrifying. 

 

Watching them try the trikes, hearing why they chose the project, sharing some good laughs and exchanging great ideas was all a plus.One student was a marathon runner. He said he would love to use one of our trikes to train for marathons, getting his upper body in shape. He took it for the longest ride. Kevin our engineer said, “I haven’t seen anyone burn rubber on the trike yet.” So this guy took it as a personal challenge and gave it his best effort. Afterwards Kevin said, “I saw rubber burning.”  My eyesight wasn’t quite that clear!

How is your eyesight?

When I left the joy in my heart bubbled over and out. Today God gave me much more than I could have ever imagined. My dream was to teach physical education and pursue my PhD in exercise physiology but my disability made that an impossibility.  

Our Latest US Trike

Kevin, our trike engineer has surprised us again with his amazing skill, creativity and simplicity.

It moves fast with seven gears

The seat is comfy 

 Nice storage underneath and there is also a back basket

Slick wheels

Long Time No Post

I (Alice) enjoyed a much needed time off in early September. But His Wheels kept marching on in my absents thanks to our volunteers and our bike and trike coordinators.


Today there were 7 of us. We were from 6 different area churches. On our Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday morning workdays we take time for updates and then we pause to pray. Here are some of the updates I shared today.

• Kevin our engineer brought our new US trike by so volunteers could take it for a spin and give input.
• Yesterday I got to try the trike and Kevin and I had a long discussion about the pros and cons and maneuverability of the trike.
• A Boy Scout from a neighboring suburb heard me on the radio in August. He contacted us about doing his Eagle Scout project with us. The project has been submitted for approval and then he hopes to begin with us.
• A friend of the ministry referred one of his friends to begin helping with HWI. The man just lost his wife to death and is looking for a place to volunteer. He is an avid cyclists and does his own wrenching (bike mechanics) and has a dream to build his own bike. He came by today to check us out, he talked with our trike design engineer about his ideas and he plans to join our team.
• On Friday a missionary is coming by to discuss ways he can reach out to an immigrant apartment community using bicycles as his curriculum to draw the adolescent boys in the complex together. We are going to brainstorm with him. He has the missionary heart and some bicycle knowledge but his dream is part of our dream.
• On Saturday 10 Master's students from University of Illinois are coming to the headquarters to learn more from us as they venture out to do a U.S. trike feasibility study for us.

We stand in awe of how the Lord is growing His Wheels and using bikes and trikes as a tool for expanding His Kingdom. Pray with us about these up and coming opportunities.

Trike to University of Illinois Chicago

Today our trike team of Kevin our engineer, Ken our trike coordinator and Alice our Executive Director went to University of Illinois Chicago and presented a US version of the trike to a class. Alice is an alumni of UIC. On Thursday the students choose what team they want to be part of. I believe there will be 2 trike teams with 5 students/team. They will do a feasibility study and present their findings in about 14 weeks. All 3 of us were encouraged and look forward to what God has planned.

Once again Kevin surprised us all with his amazing creativity. We are all grateful for the unique gifts that each of us bring to the team. Alice began the presentation by sharing the way HWI got started. Having had a class in the very same classroom she began her speech from that point. Then Ken, who has spent many years as a missionary kid and then a missionary in Africa explained the value of the trike. Kevin ended our time by debuting the new trike and talking about the features.

Thanks to all who prayed. Indeed God was glorified and we were encouraged. Only the Lord knows where this all will lead. We are glad He does.

The Smile Says It All

The first HWI trike fabricated  in Soddo Ethiopia went to this gentleman.  The surgeon reports, "I saw him crawling in the streets of Soddo about 4 years ago and offered surgery to him on the spot. He had severe polio years ago. He underwent hip releases and knee fusions. He shines shoes to make a living down by Soddo University. I have promised him this bike for 8 months. Today he saw it for the first time. He walks very slowly with crutches."

4th of July Parade Request

We are still in need of people to help with the Wheaton, IL  4th of July Parade. We stage at Evangelical Child & Family Services on Main St. across from Walgreens. The street closes off at 9AM. The parade steps off at 10A. We'd like to have our crew there by 9:30A. If you are able to help, please let me know.

Our team is growing!

At Thurs. night's work time 6 people attended. Grant taught basic tire changing skills. He explain presto and shrader valves. He explained that a Schwinn 26x 1-3/8th tire only fits on a Schwinn rim. Non Schwinn 27x1-3/8th rims require a different tire. He then demonstrated how to use tire irons instead of flat end screwdrivers to change the tire. Lots of opportunities for practice.


Today 8 people worked at the shop ranging in age from 16 to 81 representing 4 churches. What fun we had fixing bikes together, praying and thanking the Lord that we can serve Him, and joking with each other. "Hey, why do you have 2 different shoes on?" You can hear it next. Come share in the fun. Also a couple networking sessions around the pool table!


We also had a Wheaton Bible Church family come and pick up a bike for an Iraqi refugee they are helping out through the church. The one who came was a career missionary in the Central Republic of Africa. Now he is retired but still goes back and forth. In July when one of their team members returns to the area he wants to discuss the possibility of a trike project there. 

Volunteer help needed: 4th of July Parade

Are you available to join His Wheels in Wheaton, IL 4th of July Parade. The parade is on Main St. in Wheaton. It steps off at 10AM on Mon. July 4th. We could use your help: passing out our new brochures, riding one of our trikes, carrying the banner, and other things. Please let us know if you can help.

New Trike Prototypes

Our amazing trike designer/engineer/president was hard at work this weekend. He has come up with a few new trike prototypes. 

In the photo below: Up on wheels is the completed frame for the experimental  DOTT "Ultra Compact" trike, to be tested this summer. In the right, foreground are some of the parts for the slightly larger experimental "Compact" version of the DOTT trike, waiting to be built. On the bench in the background is the partially built frame for a low, fast, seven speed version of the DOTT trike to be used to test some concepts and also advertise for HWI in local events and races.

Below: A rear view of the full size DOTT trike, seen on the left, as compared to the much smaller DOTT Ultra Compact, seen on the right.

Below: A view of the full size, second generation DOTT trike in the rear and the new and improved third generation DOTT trike, in the Ultra Compact size, in the foreground. All future third generation trikes, in all sizes, will have numerous small improvements which will strengthen the frame and reduce weight by several pounds. They will also have an available option for easily removable side supports for those who need them.

Below: For several years now HWI has had a "full size" adjustable hand pedaled trike design that can fit a wide range of people. However, we have come to recognize the advantage of having at least one smaller size, adjustable design to fit larger children thru small adults. As a part of our effort to try and define what the ideal dimensions would be for this smaller, second size, we are building two new prototypes this summer. For now they are being called the "Compact" and the

"Ultra Compact"  (or "Cutie") prototypes. They will be tested with a wide range of users to see which dimensions work best for this smaller size.

The partially completed trike shown in this picture, the first Ultra Compact  prototype, will spend a few months being tested in the States. Later this summer, this particular trike may end up going to the jungles of Peru for use by a young disabled girl.

The Ultra Compact DOTT prototype shown in the foreground is approx. 5 inches shorter, 2 inches lower and 1 inch narrower than the full size version in the background.

Cutie-Trike Prototype

Our engineer Kevin is working on 4 new trike prototypes. He just made a little one that has been nicknamed cuitie. Another one he's planning to do is a compact trike and one for racing in the US for marketing purposes. What fun it is to go into the shop. I can't believe God has allowed me to have a part in such a fun ministry with so many neat people.

A Divine Delivery

Yesterday a truck driver delivered one of our trike manufacturing fixture sets. I could tell he was puzzled by what he had just delivered. So, I told him about our hand-pedaled trike and showed him the different ones. He told me his brother was an olympic wheelchair racer in the China para-olympics and now lives in Champaign, Illinois. I'm off to try and connect with him.

Packing the First Trike Kit Crate for Ethiopia

Parts packed for Ethiopia

Lots of work goes into this process. Thanks Kevin for all the work

Wheels and an empty crate

Crate with a water proof liner

Empty crate awaiting packing

A Divine Lunch Encounter

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.

Here is the letter Maxene wrote after receiving the trike in Haiti back in February (See earlier post). He wrote it in Creole, so it took a while to find a translator. We are thankful for a pastor in Chicago who knew Creole, and willingly translated this letter for us. 

February 27, 2009

"Good morning, Pastor (The pastor chose the trike recipient). I praise the Lord for you. God has used you in such a way to help me, and brought such a souvenir in my life. I thank you and your family very...very...very much. I have nobody, but God puts me in your heart to help me. I thank you very much for what you've done for me at this moment in life. What a gift! As you know, as handicapped as I am I have lots of problems, no means to live. Life is not easy, and I have to stay at people house, praise God for that. I beg you, pastor, not to forget about me. I know God can do it all, and I will never stop to thank you. I will never stop to glorify the name of the Lord for this awesome gift. God has sent me a wonderful gift; I thank you very much for that. Now I need to go to church to praise Him, but need some clothes to put on my back. I know God will finish what he has already started. ...I hope all is well with you, especially when we know with Jesus nothing shall be impossible."

After reading this letter I thought of the words Jesus spoke "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:40 ESB)