I remember my first bike — it was pink and glittery with white handlebars and streamers, and the woven white basket was perfect for holding my toys. To my 4-year-old self, it was the perfect gift. I spent hours pedaling around the driveway with my training wheels.
Of course, I eventually outgrew that little bike, and it’s been several years since I’ve even ridden one. Still, that gift holds a special place in my heart, and it’s one I have never forgotten.
This Christmas, you can give someone a bicycle that is more than just a fun gift — it can completely transform the life of a person like Joseph.
When Joseph, a pastor in Uganda, received a bicycle, it gave his ministry new life.
For a long time, Joseph spent hours walking or hitching a ride to visit members of his congregation or to share the Gospel in his community. The distance between villages made his work difficult, and it kept his church from growing.
Today, however, he can visit the sick or elderly members of his church more often, he can evangelize to a larger area than ever before, and he can get to church faster on Sunday morning, giving him more time to prepare for services.
Joseph is also using his bicycle to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others by transporting people in need of medical care to the clinic in his village. He can also use it to carry goods and to take his young daughter to school in a few years.
“Thank you for this bicycle,” Joseph said. “It is a great blessing. It will help me to serve not just my family, but my community. It will help me with my vision to bring the Good News of the Gospel for a physical and spiritual transformation because Christ has not been known in this village.”
Will you help give this same incredible gift to families living without transportation, access to job opportunities, or a way to get to and from church?
Here are just a few ways you will make an impact when you give bicycles:
Families can gather water more quickly and easily.
Men and women will have access to a wider range of jobs since they won’t have to be within walking distance.
Pastors can regularly visit congregation members and share the Gospel in their villages.
People can get to the doctor or hospital faster when there is an emergency.
Click the button below to give the gift of transportation today, or visit christmasgiving.org to discover other ways you can help transform a life this holiday season.