Bike Repair and Bible Translation

Last year during my "Engage" week of orientation in Orlando, I had a great time connecting with other Wycliffe missionaries and got to know my cohort. I knew that there would be a lot of sessions in classrooms so I knew that I would benefit from some time outside. And doing some reconnaissance I knew there were beautiful areas to explore in the vicinity. Perfect for riding a bike around. I found a very cheap old bike on Facebook marketplace and brought some bike tools with me to Florida, anticipating it would need repairs. I regularly enjoy working on bikes, almost as much as I enjoy riding them. Well, after one ride on this old bike I knew it needed repairs. And more than I came prepared for. The rear hub needed servicing badly—imagine if a bike wheel had severe osteoarthritis! I knew this meant a total disassemble of the rear wheel, including the removal of the freewheel which threads onto the hub unbudgingly.

My FB Marketplace used bike in disrepair

In a quandary, I asked around at lunch to see if anyone at Wycliffe had a wider range of bike tools. When I started to ask around, I witnessed a coordinated effort by Wycliffe members to get me the tools and resources I needed to get this bike repaired! Emails were sent. People were tracked down. Janitorial staff stepped in, having only overheard my need. In the end I was able to get the freewheel removed from the rear hub by getting a ride to a nearby bike shop with the proper tools. Coincidentally, I got a ride from Annette Pederson, a Wycliffe member and when I told her the issue was the freewheel she informed me that she was from Schweinfurt, Germany, known for engineering and producing the first precision freewheels in the early 20th century. What are the odds?

The freewheel remover tool that was needed to service the hub

Through this experience I got to witness the ethos of Bible translators. Pooling resources. Working together to find a solution. Wycliffe as an organization does this in Bible translation. We look to find solutions, creatively, collaboratively. Rather than clinging to the way it's always been done, or the things we're already comfortable with, we’re challenging conventional approaches to bring the Bible to unreached people groups. Moreover, many Bible Translation organizations outside of Wycliffe are coming together to see the entire globe get access to scripture by 2033 (https://illuminations.bible) Please consider partnering with our ministry in this work.

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Letters for Peoples

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