Miles of Smiles: Bikes for International Students
By: Marilyn Elliott, D.Min., Vice President of Community Formation
Bicycles. Traveling almost anywhere in the world and you see them in abundance. Men with loads on bikes. Women in skirts on bikes. Kids in shorts on bikes. In Africa, India, Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Toronto; bikes abound. And now bikes are becoming plentiful in Wilmore, Kentucky.
After observing our international students traveling back and forth from Kalas Village by car and foot I have sensed that the village is too far away to walk and too short a distance to drive. So students without a car walk and can’t pop home easily for lunch or to pick up a forgotten book. And students with cars drive many trips back and forth to the school campus, wasting gas and keeping the car out of service to the family at home.
The situation has changed for our internationals this summer. Twelve used bikes, each in great working condition, have been purchased and given to international students, nine to men and three to women. The process has involved seeking small gifts of money or good used bikes that do not need large repairs. The bikes cost an average of $65 each. Two young men in Kalas Village are serving as bike repair and problem solvers. A hand pump for the tires is located in one place for tire inflation.
A funny story. One international student knocked on the door of the fellow willing to help with repairs. “Why is my bike so hard to ride?” he asked. “Did you change the gears?” our repair man answered.
“Gears? What are gears?” So there is a learning curve for some.
The bikes have been put to use immediately. They can be spotted flying through the campus, big smiles on faces and happy waves. Friends are biking together to classes, dads are biking with kids in the evening and some wives have been asking if we could teach them to ride. Anything is possible!
Today, we invited those who received bikes this summer to ride together to Sims Drugs and have a soda fountain lunch together. Great joy ensued as friends laughed, told stories and shared ice cream. We could hardly drag them outside for a group picture.
During lunch Fasil Wolemariam, newly arrived from Ethiopia, called us to attention and said he had written something he wanted to read. Here is what he read from his little notebook:
Because of the bicycle donation to me, the following benefits have become part of my life:
- Since I got this bicycle as God’s response to my prayer, I am, at times, reminded that God is a God who listens to the prayers of his children and blesses by caring for our small needs
- I could save gas money and become a better steward of God’s money
- I could improve my physical fitness and feel more healthy
- I could ride my bicycle with my kids and enjoy our time together
- I could let the seminary’s parking place be for other’s use
- I could make less traffic on the narrow roads of Wilmore at times
- I could contribute less to environmental pollution
- I could go and see my family from school as often as I want
- I could praise the Lord every time I remember I received the bicycle through the generous gift of God’s people.
What a wonderful idea!
I witnessed one our our international students teaching his child to ride a bike after he had received one of these. Holy moments abound in the ATS Kalas Community!
Rock on! I loved riding my bike to/from campus. Now to get the LOCALS and the AMERICANS to follow your lead… praying for a great experience for you all!