Author Archives: AT

December 2022 Newsletter

  By AT | December 9, 2022 - 8:31 pm |
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Here are a couple teasers from the newsletter. On October 30, 2022 Alice spoke at Mobility Worldwide’s annual board meeting, attended by over 50 people from many of their 21 affiliates.

As I prepared for the presentation, The Evolution of the His Wheels Trike, I had the opportunity to reflect on why HWI exists, remember our passions, and consider the various ways God has used HWI in the past 17 years.(Click on the link to read the full talk. http://www.hiswheels.org/evolution-of-his-wheels-international/

Here’s the first paragraph of the 2nd story. By the end of September, our HWI account hit $15, with two upcoming speaking engagements scheduled (Holland and Spring Arbor, MI) and payroll due just around the corner. I thought, now what? I have always said to God, “When the money runs out, HWI is done.” Early in the ministry of His Wheels, I sensed the Lord say, “If you want me to bless HWI, leave the finances up to Me.” With fear and trepidation, I asked God, “Are we done?”

Clink the link below to read the entire December Newsletter.

Evolution of His Wheels International

  By AT | December 9, 2022 - 3:10 pm | ,
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The text below contains an excerpt from the Mobility Worldwide speech on 10/30/22. You will find a link to the entire speech at the bottom of this post.

Scott Walters, the Executive Director of Mobility Worldwide, asked me to speak on the evolution of HWI’s trike at their annual board meeting. Mobility Worldwide is compiled of over 21 affiliates in the USA and beyond, and is nearing the delivery of their 100,000th hand-cycle.

The meeting was in Holland, Michigan, only a two-hour drive from my new home in Midland, MI, which made it convenient to drive, and afforded the opportunity to take two different trike models. Thanks to my nearby cousin Lynne, I had food, lodging and family fun too.

As I prepared for the presentation, I had the opportunity to reflect on why HWI exists, remember our passions, and consider the various ways God has used HWI in the past 17 years.

HWI Guiding Principles

  • A ministry for God’s glory, guided and directed through prayer.
  • Not asking for money as God challenged me. (doesn’t mean others can’t ask for money on our behalf). We’ve been a financially lean yet flourishing organization.
  • Doing what I do best—networking, resourcing, without taking on the expectations of others. For example, I wasn’t going into manufacturing. (Doesn’t mean someone else couldn’t use our design or even parts of our design and go into manufacturing).
  • Providing a tool so the nationals could help their own people
  • Providing dignity by not creating dependency and considering ways the trike could help someone earn a living.

HWI Mission:

  • Mobilizing God’s Work Worldwide through the platform of hand-cycles, (hand propelled wheeled mobility device), we affectionately call trikes.
    • We didn’t put limitations on what we were going to do. We came up against limitations. All dreams were equal—not too big, and never too small to pursue.

HWI Vision:

  • Furthering God’s Kingdom through collaboration, for the further potential and development of hand-cycles, and empowering the end-user via mobility and opportunity.

Probably the most important part of my speech was demonstrating the concept of rake, the angle of the front end, in relationship to the chassis of the trike needed for proper ergonomic hand positioning. Afterwards, some of the design team continued the discussion with me, realizing that they needed to examine the rake relationship on their own designs. Scott was very appreciative in this response.w “Thank you for attending. Your presentation received high marks on the survey. Would you mind sending your presentation to me so I may post on our internal website?”

While networking with one of Mobility Worldwide partners in Liberia, I learned they would like copies of our children’s coloring book. We are sending 250 copies with a container shipping out soon.

Evolution of His Wheels talk 10.30.22LHDownload

Shine Project, Dodoma Tanzania

  By AT | August 7, 2021 - 6:21 pm | ,
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Good things take time, especially during the season of COVID. Back in early 2019 His Wheels sent 2 trikes back to Dodoma, Tanzania with Dr. Joel Songela.

On June 29, 2021, we at HWI received the following from Dr. Songela, “His Wheels has just given out a trike to Joseph! Remember Joseph?” HWI had learned about Joseph’s need soon after the trike got to Tanzania, but it was just before COVID began.

 

Dr. Songela goes on to write, “The trike was officially handed to Joseph by the District Commissioner.” In the picture below from left to right is Faraja (Dr. Joel Songela’s wife), Dr. Songela, the District Commissioner and the Regional Secretary for the Disabled who put Dr. Songela in contact with Joseph.

After receiving the trike Joseph said, “Now he will be able to get to where he wanted so he could do his business, which collapsed because of his immobility.

“The District Commissioner immediately gave a promise to give Joseph the capital he needed to restart his business. So he ordered the Secretary to see him in a week to collect the money!

“Joseph’s life has been drastically transformed.”

The trike was given away as part of CANA church community Project Shine, where backpacks were given to students and the trike was part of the celebration. See the video below.

July Newsletter

  By AT | August 28, 2020 - 1:47 am | ,
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Below is one of the stories included in the July Newsletter. Make sure to read the rest about the Miracle happening in Kampala. Then scroll down and see the next post. They are out of order, but probably in the right order for understanding our excitement as to God is up to with His Wheels. You can read the July Newsletter by clicking here.

COVID – 19 Cancellation

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were preparing to send a trike to STARS Uganda in July, via College Church, Wheaton’s short-term mission team. This delivery was extra special because Nancy, a physical therapist who has been an integral part of our HWI trike team,was leading the trip. She was delivering it to Sylvia Kalyebara, the Founder of STARS Uganda, and a friend of His Wheels and Nancy.

I met Sylvia Kalyebara, a Social Worker, over a decade ago when she arrived in the USA, to join her husband, Nick, who was studying at Wheaton College. As Sylvia and I were forming a friendship, from the moment she learned about HWI and our trike, she began asking herself, “Where are all those with disabilities in Uganda?”

Knowing Sylvia had a growing interest in learning more about serving those with disabilities, I introduced her to College Church’s STARS program, and to Nancy. When Sylvia returned to Uganda, she began STARS Uganda, a Christian non-governmental organization, for walking alongside people affected by disabilities. I continue to encourage and advise Sylvia, through prayer, emails, etc. Nancy has also encouraged Sylvia in countless ways, including visiting her in Uganda.

Kasimu, a seven-year-old Ugandan, was to receive the trike. He recently said to his mother, who was limiting his crawling around to play, “Mom . . . I am not lame; just let me play with my friend. Do you expect me to play on your back all day?” When I heard this story, I thought about how much independence, freedom and mobility the trike will bring him. It would get him off his mom’s back, that’s for sure!

First Trike Built in Uganda

  By AT | August 28, 2020 - 1:28 am |
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Celebrate with us at His Wheels International. Our first trike is well on the way to being completed in Kampala Uganda by Ideas Workshop. Jon and his team at Ideas Workshop has been working closely with Vadim, one of His Wheels board members and our team to work through the glitches. Jon’s team has built this trike off the blueprints only from our website, without having a model to study while building. Great job Team Ideas Workshop. Pray with us that this trike will be the beginning of getting trikes throughout East Africa and beyond.

Learn more about Ideas Workshop by clicking here.