Getting my hands dirty!

 

 Well, God not only provided us with a ministry location this month, but he also provided me with a task that I really enjoyed. Incase you dont know me, I love bicycles! They are for sure one of my deepest passions in life. It such a relief to see 12 bicycles that have been sitting outside in the wind, sun, and rain for over seven years. I know your asking yourself how this was a relief, but to me it meant fun, excitement, hard work, time with God, and hopefully a great joy for the girls once they had bikes to ride again.

 

The bikes probably could have been in better shape, but I didnt mind. For instance, more than one bike had become the home for a large ant colony. I could follow a trail of ants going in and out of the bicycle frame. Once Josh and I were able to get the rusted bolts loose, we found dirt, ants, and eggs filling the inside of the bike frame! We had our work cut out for us. There were also the bikes that had been in the rain the most and we could not even turn the pedals or the handle bars because there was so much rust almost welding the metal together. However, it was nothing numerous soakings in WD-40 couldn’t solve.

 

With the condition of the bikes noted, we made a shopping list and headed to town. The list included handlebar grips, inner tubes, ball bearing grease, paint, sand paper, tape, and of course a few cans of liquid wrench. Once home the fun began. We began taking each bicycle completely apart. Once they reach this stage of rust, it is important to make sure the frame is still intact. It was a slow process, but we managed to repair, rebuild, and repaint most of the bicycles. We even got to see the smiles of the girls faces when they began to ride their bicycles again!