Getting a Mountain Bike Working To Give Away

Over the past four years or so, our small town has had fresh sushi at the supermarket in the Deli section.

I made friends with the first couple that sold sushi in our town and found out they were from Burma. They didn't speak Burmese however, as they are a mountain people called "Chin." They had limited English. I shared a little about them and shared some pictures in a post when they came to my house and dropped off a huge sushi platter for Mothers Day. It was just before they were moving out of town and I was very sad to see them go! Here is a link to th

at post! 

 The next man was living here without his wife and was a adorable guy. He played drums at a Christian church every Sunday making a six  hour drive just to attend church! They don't have a "Chin" speaking church except in big cities. He did speak English and Spanish fairly well. 

The next guy had the same name as the first man, so I guess "Van" is a common Chin name. He wasn't here all that long and then we got a new guy.

I met him several times and then didn't go get much sushi due to Covid. It thought about him with people not shopping and how he was surviving. He doesn't have a car, has limited English, and is living in a cheap motel. 

There is a smart guy who recruits these "Chin" people who all had to seek religious asylum in the U.S. and there is a huge population of them in Texas of all places. This man teaches them how to make sushi, and then drops them off in a small town and talks the supermarket deli t

o allow them to sell sushi and give them a small work area. In return, the store takes a percentage of the profits. 

The guy that recruits them and fronts them the travel to the spot and deals with setting up the supermarkets deals takes his cut, and the workers get a small amount after they pay for supplies. They don't usually get real housing as they can't afford it but that also means they don't have many belongings and don't really know anyone. 

They can't speak the language very well so they are a bit insecure talking to people and often don't understand things. I can't imagine moving to a new city, living in a motel, not having a car, and not knowing anyone! The business guy comes around to check how things are going but it is a lonely world for these immigrants. 

I have talked to him several times in the past few months and he lights up when he see's me. Last

time, he gave me an extra sushi for my birthday. I took him some baked muffins with a note as that was so sweet. 

 I am getting ready to have a yard sale and have a mountain bike that I used to ride but my legs are so long that the seat was extended as high as it could go and still my legs weren't straight. I decided to get a different bike so asked the girls if one of them wanted it. One said she would look at it so it sat outside for a few years unused. 

The tires went flat and I was planning on selling it, but the thought came into my mind that I should offer Him the bike. 

We bought sushi this weekend and I asked him if he was interested in the bike, and he was SO excited. I told him I was really busy so it may not be for a few weeks, but I talked to someone at church on Sunday about maybe helping me put new inner tubes in the bike as it has been years since I have done that. I interestingly enough had two new puncture resistant inner tubes in the boxes. I sold all the bikes except mine at my last yard sale a few years back, so if when I give him the bike, I

wouldn't have one that fit the tube anyway, so today, a sweet boy from my congregation came to my home and helped me change out the inner tubes, I pumped them up and we both centered the tires and checked the brakes. 

I washed it after he fixed the tires and then polished it up which you can see in this photo. It had oxidized so much sitting in the back yard under the eves. I'm excited so I can put a bow on it and take it to him tomorrow. I'll share about that tomorrow! 

Have a blessed day!