Trike History 2007

2007

January 2007

North Africa

We’d tried to anticipate all the problems Jeremy might encounter in manufacturing the trike. One thing we never considered was that he’d have problems inflating the tubeless wheelbarrow tires. As it turned out, the pressure from the compressor wasn’t strong enough.”*

*Excerpt from, Teisan, Alice Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall OFF, (2012), 116-117.

February 2007

Dual Offsett Tube Trike (DOTT) First Generation Building

March 2007

Wheaton, Illinois, Wheaton Evangelical Free Church Disability Sunday

HWI presented the trikes for Alice’s home church, the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church’s Disability Sunday. During the children’s hour about 40 children tried the trike. Joni and Friend’s (JNF) Chicago also participated in this event. Afterwards someone generously offered to buy a trike prototype and to cover shipping expenses to a location determined by us.

April 2007

Agoura Hills, California,  Joni and Friends International Headquarters, 

April 2007 Alice took one of the first third generation DOTT (Dual Offset Tube Trike) trikes with her to Joni and Friends (JNF) new International Headquarters in Agoura Hills, CA per request of the Wheels for the World (WFTW) Director. The $1,000 donation we received at the March Disability Sunday event covered all the expenses in taking a trike out to California and most of the trip expenses too.

The purpose of the trip was to learn more about WFTW and to introduce WFTW to HWI.

Through reliable partnerships around the world and a fleet of volunteers in 2007 WFTW sent 15 teams to 14 countries. They had the international shipping expertise needed to get the 8,000 wheelchairs to those countries for distribution.

While at JNF headquarters the WFTW’s director also made it possible for Alice to spend a day with one of their volunteer mechanics and to visit the Taft prison wheelchair rehabilitation center. We showed the person overseeing the center the HWI trike and left it there for them to consider if they were interested in future discussions about manufacturing possibilities for the trike.

While at Taft prison in the Mojave Desert of California we also did some sandy terrain testing of the trike, which was helpful for our HWI ongoing research and development.

May 2007

Wheaton, Illinois, Washington School,

Riding HWI’s trikes at Washington Elementary School’s bike rally was a highlight for many families in May. This event gave HWI a chance for our trikes to gain exposure in the community.

The event also allowed our team, which includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, missionaries, mechanics and riders of many sizes and physical ability to evaluate and provide feedback on different aspects of the trikes.

June 2007

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa

“In June 2007, HWI was accomplishing yet another dream when I wrote out a check to buy bikes [and one hand-pedaled three-wheeler designed and built locally in the DRC] in Congo. I was reminded of the journey God had begun in 2005, when I met a Congolese pastor, his wife, and their two teenage sons. They brought up their need for bikes to facilitate ministry in a more efficient manner. At the time I was quick to clarify that we didn’t have any money. The husband said, ‘We don’t need money to talk and plan.’  He was right. As we began dialoguing, the wife shared the story of how important a bike was for her work.

‘One day our church sent my husband and me to serve the Lord at another local church,’ she told me. ‘It was a thirty-minute-walk from our house. I began walking there three times a week to meet with the women, but soon I started having trouble with my legs. I prayed, ‘God, I need a bicycle.’

She decided that the only way to get enough money was to bake cakes and sell them to buy the bicycle. So she prayed again: ‘I need twenty-five kilograms of sugar so I can bake cakes.’

She continued, ‘I took a few days and talked with God about the needs of my heart. The next day at church, our pastor prayed, ‘God, give her what she needs, in Jesus’ name.’ After church my husband checked the mailbox. He brought an envelope and said, ‘Here is the answer to our prayer.’ We didn’t know who sent it. God provided the money to buy everything for baking cakes.’

She began baking cakes and buying one piece of the bicycle at a time until she got all the parts. The whole process took a year.

She never gave up, but instead was enchanted by each new part she gathered.

‘Afterward I took it all to a mechanic, who put it together,’ she said. “I named the bicycle Dieudonne, meaning ‘God gave.’ Before riding, we dedicated the bicycle to God. Then I began using it to serve Him. When we left to spend two years in the United States, I wondered what I should do with this bicycle. Since God had given it to me for His work, I decided I must give it away, so it would continue serving Him. I gave it to a committed pastor’s wife who teaches women in Napopo Bible Institute.’

When I handed the couple the check, the wife jumped with joy. She said, ‘He has returned to me over ten times what I’ve given. This is an amazing miracle. In my heart, I know God is alive.’ Afterward we dedicated the work to God in prayer through jubilant celebration and great anticipation of what God had planned.

‘Thank you, Lord, for blessing our obedience,’ the husband concluded.”*

In a written report back months later Mboligihe wrote, “We ordered and had a hand-pedaled three-wheeler (trike) built for a disabled servant of God in Congo.

Since this is the rainy season in Congo, they must wait for the mud and potholes to dry up before the truck can deliver the bicycles. They hoped the bicycles would arrive in Dungu by the end of November.'”

*Excerpt from, Teisan, Alice Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall OFF, (2012), 129-131.

Syracuse, Indiana, Joni and Friends Family Retreat 

BJ, a member of Alice’s Church, the Wheaton Evangelical Church, who lived with Down syndrome one day said to his mother, “‘Take the trike to the Joni and Friends retreat!’

JNF is an international disability ministry that was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada. In 1967, at the age of seventeen, a diving accident had left Joni a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair and unable to use her hands. However, through her life-altering circumstances, Joni surrendered herself and her situation to God. After two years of rehabilitation, she was determined to use what she had learned through her disability to help others in similar situations….

In June 2007, we headed off to the JNF retreat, …in the beautiful resort town of Syracuse, Indiana, off Lake Wawasee….The JNF retreat was beneficial for us, as well. It allowed us to see the strengths and weaknesses of our design as people with a wide variety of disabilities rode the trikes.

The wife of a participant at the retreat said, ‘I haven’t seen my husband so excited since his accident four years ago’ When we met another young man, who was paralyzed on his right side, I asked, ‘Do you want to try the trike?’

His shoulders slouched. ‘I can’t do it,’ he said. With help and encouragement from BJ and the rest of our team, he tried. The next day he returned with friends, and with a big smile on his face, he rode off on the trike again.”

Another family at the Joni and Friends retreat in June said, ‘You have made our daughter Anika so happy this week. We can’t thank you enough.’

Anika was an eight-year-old, adopted from Belarus at the age of four…When Anika arrived in the United States, she walked off the plane, and four months later she walked into the hospital for surgery. But due to complications during surgery, she left a paraplegic. Her life would never be the same again. Still, it couldn’t steal her determination, athleticism, or charm.

During the week of JNF Family Retreat Anika rode our trikes for eight hours. ‘She has Olympic potential,’ a physical therapist stated.When Kevin, our trike designer, came one day to glean insight about the engineering changes that were needed, he saw Anika ride.”*

*Excerpt from, Teisan, Alice Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall OFF, (2012), 134-138.

July 2007

Togo, West Africa

How do we find our partners?

“We are leaving for Togo West Africa. Last year you gave our boys two bicycle. Can we take them with us to Togo? We are packing our trailer and will leave for Pennsylvania today.” Russ, a Pediatrician, and missionary asked.

We at His Wheels were delighted to let the bicycles go. It was yet another part of God’s plan for HWI. This made our 7th country in which HWI bikes and trikes were being used.

The Lord laid on Alice’s heart to call Russ back and ask if he had room for a trike. He was delighted to take a trike.

Had it not been for temperatures above 90+F, which caused Alice to cancel her plans for a day of touring in Chicago with friends from Denmark, she would have missed the last minute opportunity to get bikes and a trike to Togo. Heat related symptoms forced Alice to remain at home and in bed for a good portion of the day.

A few hours later Russ came over and talked with Kevin, our mechanical engineer. As we discussed our dream of trikes being built by nationals the excitement was contagious. Russ’s face lit up as he thought about ways to empower nationals to build trikes as a micro enterprise business in Togo.

Russ left thrilled at the possibilities. My heart was touched. Momentarily Alice could see that it was no accident that another day found her at home, struggling with a long-term disability with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). If it weren’t for CFS Alice would have missed a potentially amazing opportunity, part in God’s plan for the people of Togo and for HWI to provide mobility.

Summer to Fall 2007

Building Tomahawk, a trike by Kevin for Kevin

Building Scirocco meaning African Wind

When Kevin went to Joni and Friends retreat in June, I, Alice, “mentioned the possibility of building a junior hand-cycle racer for her…. She melted Kevin’s heart …

Throughout the summer and fall, Kevin designed and built a racing trike for Anika. The trike was aerodynamic, high-tech, and multiple-geared and would allow Anika to work toward her ultimate athletic potential. With Anika in mind, Kevin named it Scirocco, which meant “African wind.” *

*Excerpt from, Teisan, Alice Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall OFF, (2012), 136-140.

September 2007

North Africa

In September another trike  will fly with Jeremy to North Africa. This trike was a first generation Dual Offset Tube Trike (DOTT).

Illinois (Chicago) Through the Roof, Joni and Friends Disability Summit

September 28-29, 2007 His Wheels International had an exhibit booth at Joni and Friends Disability Summit where we displayed our trike.

October 2007

Bloomington, Indiana, Anika getting Scirocco

Months later, when we fitted Anika to Scirocco, she rode around, smiling and singing, “I’m having so much fun.” She left everyone who tried to run alongside her in the dust.

Kevin watched with excitement as he did some of his final engineering analysis. Afterward he said, “I have found what I was created to do.”

Then and there our dream for a junior hand-cycle racing team was born. Where it would lead us, only God knew.”*

*Excerpt from, Teisan, Alice Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall OFF, (2012), 140.

November 2007

Trujillo, Peru, Wheels for the World, a division of Joni and Friends

As November 2, 2007 quickly approached, Nancy, our trike Physical therapist, HWI board member and Joni & Friends volunteer received the “green light to GO,” with, our fourth hand pedaled trike, on the 2007 JNF, WFTW/Trujillo Peru wheelchair distribution team. This venture would assist HWI on our road of research, development and international discoveries.

HWI’s fourth trike prototype left the U.S. in 2 boxes as checked luggage. The trike made it to Trujillo safe and sound… Nancy reports, “got stopped in customs, where they opened the large box and asked many questions. The letters, especially the Spanish one from Elizabeth, really helped…but I think the prayers of the rest of the team made the final difference.

No additional fees were place on the boxes, so it arrived on $150.00US!

In Trujillo, it was loaded on the roof of a van and I just had a little time this afternoon to attach the front wheel. It will go to the distribution site (Christian Missionary Alliance Church) with us tomorrow and will be assembled.”


While in Peru on Tuesday, November 6th Nancy gave a speech about the trike and presented it to the Peruvian organization Corazones Unidos, during the opening ceremony for the WFTW outreach in Trujillo, which was aired on national TV in Peru.

“Various Peruvian and American team members had fun trying the three-wheeler.” Nancy went on to say. During the week, mechanics, carpenters, physical therapists, welders, the disabled and government officials gave input about the trike. Nancy enjoyed watching “Ricardo, a Peruvian mechanic who is disabled, transfer with ease and pedal around exclaiming, ‘Esta bien!’”

 

Pakistan

“I thought you should see what His Wheels International inspired!!”

Katie & Pakistan team's Wheelchair

Katie & Pakistan team’s Wheelchair

Since they weren’t looking for a bike or trike Alice was hesitant to proceed. However, Kevin, our engineer, said it would only take a few hours to draw up plans.

About five months later, in the fall of 2007 Katie wrote, “Due to the great help of your drawings, we finally got a chair made. I say finally because I had some setbacks which were pretty hard to get over. But all that said, we made a chair!!!

We plan to continue the building process.

Thank you so much for your help.” HWI’s part was small, but God is great.

December 2007

Trike Building Workshop, North Africa,

In 2005 we dreamed of one day building HWI trikes outside the US. Today, in North Africa, our dream is a reality. Jeremy officially started his trike workshop. He reports having some good men to work with him. They are busy getting parts, welding and working out the technical issues.

Jeremy writes, “My welder is modifying our tube bender.


Hopefully we will be ready to start on the main chassis this week. I have found a guy that should be able to supply wheels for the first ten trikes, which is my first production goal. We praise the Lord for this opportunity to give dignity to those who are physically disabled.

I am encouraged at the progress, and thankful for all HWI’s efforts in getting me this far.”

This trike project is financed in North Africa by the proceeds from another for profit venture.

Pray for Jeremy and the men involved with this trike workshop.

“We built the first seat back on Friday.” Jeremy Clark wrote.

2007-A year in review

Since 2005 Kevin, our volunteer engineer has built 12 different prototypes. He also just finished four assembly fixtures and a stand, which will allow the fixture to rotate 360 degrees to accommodate the able and disabled in making the trikes. Our goal is to provide a trike and ultimately an entire trike building process complete with a set of assembly fixtures to organizations that share our goals. Thus they can begin building trikes locally for those impacted around the world with disabilities.

To build a tricycle requires 4 different jig fixtures. “This is the most complex project I have ever done,” Kevin stated after finishing 60+pages of drawings for the fixtures. We are having 3 sets of fixtures manufactured and painted for $6,000.

With the jig fixtures finished the potential for trike manufacturing takes our dreaming to a new level.

Kevin has donated all his time, talent and thousands of dollars for materials. In 2007 HWI was able to begin covering material costs. We are amazed at what God has allowed us to accomplish with our small budget of under $25,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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