March Newsletter -Internship Highlights

Throughout my internship I have been focusing on a developmental theory, which emphasizes that the whole person is important.... The tasks of working on bikes, teaching others how to fix bikes, and giving bikes away are what we do in a physical sense.

Hearing from others during our prayer and update time are the times we connect spiritually. Talking and having fun while working is the environment of the shop. It is never results first and relationships second. The way Alice says it is: ‘If we give away a thousand bikes, but burn out our volunteers, then I don’t want to do this. HWI has to serve those serving within the organization too otherwise it isn’t furthering the Kingdom.’

Alice has challenged me to find the skills and gifts people have. Then to encourage them to contribute in those ways, while steering them away from work that they may not be contributing much through. This kind of strength identification is learned as a leader. I look forward to continuing to learn how to do this.”

Trike Specific Brochure Pg. 2

DOTT Trike in Ethiopia

The Assembly Fixtures

Along with the development of the DOTT trike, assembly fixtures were also created. These four fixtures allow each part of the frame to be held in perfect alignment during the welding process. They simplify the most difficult part– construction–making it possible for some to build such a trike in as little as 10-25 hours.

These fixtures, along with a welder, tube bender, notcher, drill and various smaller tools are enough to equip a trike manufacturing shop for production. A reasonably experienced welder is recommended. All other production operations can be learned relatively quickly.

Drawings And Documentation

HWI can make many types of documents and drawings available to support trike production:

• Pictures • Standard blueprints • Exploded assembly views • Individual part drawings • Bill of material • Parts sources • Fitting manual

If desired, a highly detailed 3D AutoCad model of the trike is available.

Production Training

HWI is currently producing a trike assembly video. Future plans include a week-long “Trike Building Experience”training course available to those who can come to the Chicago area.

Please contact HWI for more information:

His Wheels International P.O. Box 423 Wheaton, IL 60187 630-510-1005 info@hiswheels.org

All contributions to His Wheels International are tax-deductible. HWI’s Tax-Exempt number is 55-0896471.

In the picture above, a complete DOTT assembly fixture set is shown. The round tubing seen on the large fixture is a trike chassis ready to be welded together.

HWI has many schematic drawings available to support trike production. This example illustrates the major components of the DOTT Frame.

Trike Specific Brochure Pg. 1

Here is Page 1 of our Trike Specific Brochure:

A picture sparked His Wheels International’s Global Trikes Division...“We need hand-pedaled trikes throughout Africa,” an international leader stated in 2005.

Throughout the world many people have been affected by polio, landmines, and have other physical disabilities. Without transportation, these individuals are left to an animal existence, crawling along on their hands, pulling their paralyzed limbs through the dirt and sewer.

Construction

HWI Dual Offset Tube Trike (DOTT) is most easily built from round or square steel tubing, welded together. It uses relatively common, rugged bicycle parts for the drive train; and equally rugged sealed ball bearings and flat-free wheelbarrow wheels to avoid the spoke breakage and flat tire issues common on rough roads and paths. HWI uses plywood for seat surfaces, but thin steel, woven surfaces, or other seat surface options can be employed. This design can be modified to use different types of wheels, and suit local needs.

Ergonomics

The DOTT design has adjustability in the seat back angle, seat depth, leg length, knee angle and ankle position to properly fit the user. Crank arm length and gearing have been selected to help prevent elbow & shoulder joint strain. The offset frame tube design makes transfer from a chair or wheelchair easier.

Performance

The DOTT is highly maneuverable; it can nearly pivot around the rear wheels. The “direct drive” front wheel allows the trike to be pedaled in reverse for added maneuverability in tight situations. No active brake is provided for this reason as the hand pedals are used as the brake. However there are parking and active brake options available if terrain could be cause for braking needs.

Cost

Costs will vary depending upon the availability of local parts, logistics and location. HWI estimates that the basic material costs will range from a low of $100 per trike or less; to a high of $270 per trike if most or all parts must be imported from the US, and all options are included. Cost estimates do not include shipping. HWI has developed and tested a manufac- turing process that can make it possible for local organiza- tions to build these trikes.

Friday I heard that "Two women severely crippled by polio were fitted with a trike in Sierra Leone this week. One is essentially homeless and has 3 children that hang out on the streets with her all day begging with her....They will return weekly to give us feedback and so we can check on them. So far, the women LOVE their new mobility!" Wow!

Workday March 19th from 9AM - 1PM

JOIN HWI This SATURDAY MARCH 19th FOR A WORKDAY

Who: All ages (children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult)

When: Saturday March 19th from 9AM-1PM

Where: HWI Headquarter at 21W161 Hill Ave. Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Why: A workday

What will we do?

• Brainstorm group: Compile mission application for trikes
• Frame and Hang Pictures
• Repair Bikes
• Clean Bikes
• Clean headquarters: (Bring broom or Vacuum if you can) clean windows and bathrooms
• Construction Projects: Call if you fit in this category for specific skills you have, projects to be done and tools you will need.

• Directions: We are on the south side of the street in a 2-story brick building. Phan Auto Repair is our neighbor to the East. His garage door faces our back door.

  From the East: We are located 0.4 miles from Finley.

  From the West: We are located 0.25 miles from the Prairie Path Entrance

Day-to-day in the shop

Here is a post from Grant

Bike division coordinator & HWI's first intern.

Grant in the summer at the shop

What happens in the shop day-to-day: Each morning one or more of the volunteers greet me heartily as I walk in the shop door. They almost always arrive up to an hour before me to start working on their projects. I check which bikes they are working on, put away bikes/parts that may have just been donated, and make sure our sign has been rolled out.

Sign in the Summer

The majority of the next 3 hours is taken up with helping volunteers with repairs, sorting parts/bikes, checking in with Alice, praying together, and interacting with people picking/dropping off bikes. Because there is no Internet at the shop I don’t spend much time planning new programs or connecting with other organizations that we work with. Because the weather has been very cold we haven’t had many bike heading out besides those we give to World Relief every week.

He's so special he has his own blocks

Prayer Discovery

Sometimes human interruptions are an important component of prayer. The crying needs of people are part of the Spirit’s sensitivity through prayer. Over the last two days as I’ve set aside time to pray, and have been in the midst of prayer three significant interruptions have come my way.

Through these situations I realized my heart was in prayer but I was also called to give. It is at these times that I have to marry the different components of prayer, which in these encounters required the feet of action. I didn’t seek these encounters but God knew I was available for them to come my way. They were divine encounters that touched God’s heart and the hearts of many as there was a rippling effect outwards from each person I encountered. The rippling impact was as far reaching as Tanzanian as a friend there said, “Tell Alice thank you for helping us to tell our story.”

Prayer is an attitude, that requires action, stamina, perseverance, and interaction with the Triune God. As I come to the throne of God in a posture of humility, with ears, eyes and a heart open to the Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit will uncover new things to me. My discoveries will come through the inspired and inerrant words of Holy Scripture, the leading of the Holy Spirit, the beauty of nature, the individuals that I encounter, and other tools God has creatively made to sculpt me into the child He wants me to become.

It is only in retrospect that I can see these different components of prayer. So, now as I will reach the goal of praying 8,000 hours by the end of February on my Pray 10K journey I now understand the concept of praying without ceasing. However that is only the beginning. Now I must learn to implement the components of praying without ceasing. For me as these interruptions came I was at first annoyed by the interruptions. But now I see I can only pray without ceasing if my attitude is in the right place before God when He asks me to participate in the things that are near to His heart.

As God revealed these amazing discoveries to me I also experienced how only God can fill the deepest places in my soul. Through prayer I am clothed in honor, glory, majesty, blessedness and a richness that rivals all the money in the world. Prayer has provided a thrill and joy that is more exciting than any sports venue I could ever view. It is an adventure second to none. Prayer is enveloped in a peace that passes all understanding. It provides a freedom beyond bounds leaving me in a spacious place beyond what I could ever hope for or dream of uncovering.

Mile Markers-From a trike dream to a reality in Ethiopia

Assembling 15 trike kit sets for Ethiopia

March 2010

Packaging 15 set of trike kit sets

First week in new headquarters

Constructed crate for 15 trike kits sets and 1 completed trike

It takes an engineer to get the contents for 16 trikes into a 4x4x4 ft crate

One week after we moved in the crate was packed

Mission accomplished-many mile markers behind us.

The trike kits will one day look like this after being welded and painted in Ethiopia

Many miles in front of us

Our neighbors are helping us load the container onto the truck.

The crates next leg of the journey to meet the shipping container.

After 10 days in our new headquarters our first of hopefully many containers left the site.

Final Destination of the trikes

Good bye 2010 in Wheaton IL on December 31st CST

Happy New Year His Wheels International as the container pulled into Soddo Christian Hospital on the morning of January 1 Ethiopian time

The big job of unpacking begins

Every box must be thoroughly checked by a customs officer for contents

A long and tedious process

Mellessa, the first HWI trike recipient waiting on with great anticipation.

The trike crate-Mellessa at front left. Dr. Anderson, American surgeon also looking on.

Mellessa said good-bye to his Ethiopian made trike and hello to his new HWI set of wheels.

He's ready to go to the hospital where he works with Dr. Anderson. Mellessa speaks eight languages so he translates for Dr. Anderson.

Notice the adaptations Mellessa made to his trike:

Added a wheelchair leg support for his right knee that was fused together.

Added wheelchair sides to his trike

Added a plush seat. I wish I had a seat that comfortable for some of those long 100 mile days on my hard bicycle seat.

Many mile-markers behind us and we look forward to the mile-markers ahead of us