March Herald.indd - Lake Union Conference

Bicycles for the
Third World
B Y E V E L Y N J . L U T Z
Although officially retired,
Robert Dunn, of Holly,
Michigan, continues to teach
at Oakland Community and
Schoolcraft colleges. But in his
spare time, he repairs bicycles to
be sent to third-world countries
for orphanages and pastors that
otherwise would have to walk.
The bicycles are shipped by
the Adventist Development and
Relief Agency (ADRA).
When Robert has about
40 bicycles ready, he
calls Jim Lanning, ADRA
director of acquisitions at
the headquarters in Silver
Spring, Maryland. Jim then
schedules Joe Gilbert, an
ADRA volunteer, to pick
them up.
“This is my sixth trip to
Holly to pick up bicycles
from Robert,” said Joe
Gilbert on his recent visit
to Holly. “This load makes
240 bicycles that he has
put into good use that
otherwise would have been
discarded.” Joe explained
where some of the bicycles are sent.
One orphanage with 144 children
might have 10 to 15 bicycles. That
means each child waits a long time
for a turn. But then 40 more bicycles
arrive, and they don’t have to wait
nearly so long for a ride.
“The children often have
swollen stomachs from
malnutrition, and muscles that have
begun to atrophy,” Joe said. “Riding
bicycles is excellent therapy for all
their muscles, but especially for
their stomach muscles.”
ADRA recently shipped 80
bicycles to Ghana, Africa, for young
pastors leaving the seminary. They
sometimes have as many as 10
churches, walking long distances on
dirt paths or jeep trails. Fuel there
is very expensive, so they can’t
Robert Dunn (right), who repairs bicycles for third-world countries, and
Joe Gilbert (left), a volunteer for Adventist Development and Relief Agency
(ADRA), stand beside the custom-built trailer in which Joe transports the
bicycles. In the background is a stack of bicycles awaiting Robert’s repairs.
afford Land Rovers or Jeeps. In fact,
most could not even afford to buy
a bicycle, so they are very happy
when these donated bicycles make
it easier for them to travel from
parish to parish.
Robert’s bicycle repairing began
when he got a call from Kenny
Cole, another member of the Holly
Church. Kenny’s wife, Dorothy, and
some other ladies had an annual
fund-raising garage sale, but bicycles
didn’t sell very well. The two men
came up with the idea that these
bicycles could be refurbished and
sent to people in less fortunate
countries, especially to orphanages
and pastors that must travel on foot.
“I get the bicycles from various
sources,” Robert explains. “Darrell
Burget heads a similar project for
the Baptist Church, and he’s been
most helpful. They recently sent a
shipment to Haiti. We share parts
and ideas. Cycle Fit in Fenton also
helps. They call me when they get
bicycles dropped off that they can’t
use, and I pick them up. Members
of the community also donate
bicycles in need of various repairs.”
Sometimes one bicycle may be
a combination of parts
from several others.
Robert purchases new
parts when needed.
Joe can put 32 boxed
bicycles in his trailer
and a few more in
his pickup truck,
usually totaling 40.
He transports them to
an East Coast port for
shipping.
“God had a plan,”
says Joe. “Bicycles are
an important part of the
plan to restore health in
countries that have been
devastated by war or
natural disasters. This
is a way to bring them a little bit of
God’s love.”
“We’re working in the Master’s
vineyard,” Robert adds, “and we
work together to improve life
situations in other places.”
Evelyn Lutz is the Holly (Michigan)
Church communication leader.
Visit our Web site at luc.adventist.org Lake Union Herald, March 2004 • 7