December 2022 Newsletter


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.

His Wheels, her mission: Midland woman creates group that donates hand-pedaled bikes

Less than two months after Alice moved to Midland, Michigan, the Midland Daily Newspaper featured an article about the ministry of His Wheels International. The ministry was brought to the attention of the newspaper by a friend of a friend, a long time resident of Midland. The article is copied below but can also be found by clicking on the link to the article at the Midland News.

His Wheels, her mission: Midland woman creates group that donates hand-pedaled bikes

Midland nonprofit helps people with lower extremity disabilities

In her teens, bicycling for Alice Teisan, of Midland, was more than a hobby. Before she turned 30, she estimates that she traveled 10,000 miles on her bicycle. She has biked in Africa, England, Israel and Scotland, in addition to the U.S.

Her plans to continue cycling were waylaid when she was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This condition made it impossible for her to keep biking at such a pace.

While that news was more than disheartening, it eventually led her to start a non-profit that would provide bicycles, as well as hand-pedaled trikes, to others in need in the U.S and around the world.

From the beginnings of the organization in 2005, through 2013, His Wheels International distributed 1,700 bicycles in the U.S. The group also bought 165 bicycles for people in 12 African countries.

Since that time, the group has been working on hand-pedaled trikes in numerous capacities. The trikes are designed for people who have lower extremity disabilities.

“What we do is promote the design, fabrication and manufacturing of these trikes for people with disabilities in other parts of the world,” Teisan said. “There is a team of us – about 20 people – who have put eyes on it: physical therapists, occupational therapists, surgeons, engineers, nurses – we kind of improved on the design. Since that time we have about 120 of them in 22 countries around the world.”

Individuals as well as teams of people have worked together through His Wheels International to help others across the globe.

“We like to involve students to give them the opportunity to see how their skills can have a global impact,” Teisan said. “Spring Arbor University partnered with a group in India. The students helped buy materials to make 20 trikes.”

Students at Olivet University built a hitch and trailer that can be attached to the trike. The trailer could potentially carry supplies, such as firewood, or goods to be sold at local markets.

And while the trikes provide mobility, they may also lead to employment opportunities for locals where they are being built.

Teisan has written two books: Pray 10K How the Radical Can Become Real: A 10,000 – Hour Prayer Adventure and Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall Off; both books are available on Amazon. She is also in the editing stages of a children’s coloring book about the trike.

Teisan plans to attend a conference this fall in Missouri hosted by Mobility Worldwide, another organization that aims to provide mobility to people around the world.

To learn more about His Wheels International, visit www.hiswheels.org 

Mobility Device Provision & Distribution Conference

From September 20-22, 2021 there was the first ever conference for people doing hand-pedaled three-wheeled mobility work along with over 50 who gathered in Missouri, or online for an inaugural conference.

We at His Wheels International were so glad for the  and leadership of Scott Walters, the Executive Director of Mobility Worldwide who had the vision for the conference. His team did a fabulous job of putting together an interesting and varied line up of speakers.

Due to the COVID situation, Alice was grateful that she could still attend via Zoom. She was the final presenter of the conference. Click on the link to  view her 15 minute presentation. It gives a good overview of the work His Wheels International has done over the past 16 years, having begun in 2005.

Thanks to our friends at Messiah College and our collaboration, they took our trike to the conference where it was showcased along with other organizations products. Our children’s coloring book was also passed out.

Out of the conference, I steering committee is being formed, to begin figuring out how to formalize a collaboration. Alice has been invited to be a part of this committee.

Alice presented at the Mobility Device Provision & Distribution Conference 2021. View the video below. It gives an overview of the work His Wheels has been doing over the last 16 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shine Project, Dodoma Tanzania

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

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

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.

December Newsletter 2019

Read our most recent December Newsletter 2019 and learn about what is happening with His Wheels

(Left) Two trikes were sent from Illinois with Joel to Tanzania as extra luggage in May 2019.
(Below) David, the engineer from Arusha, Tanzania (7 hour car drive from Dodoma) who works in the Arusha Vocational Technical School came to assist Joel in assembling the trikes. David’s specialty is motorized trikes for cargo purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Joel’s smile says it all!