Bikes, Bikes, and more Bikes

I was blessed to have this last Monday through Thursday off from language school. For some reason the language school takes off one week each month and it was this last week. So in the meantime I received the two bikes for the summer team coming this year and spent sometime fixing them up. The two summer friends coming are college students from the University of Texas. Lauren and James, so I will refer to their bikes in such a manner.

Lauren's bike was in pretty good condition. I replaced the grips because they were very sticky and partially melted and I put a better front tire on her bike. We also put on a bell, because in Japan, bells are always important or at least come in handy often.

James's bike on the other hand was a whole lot worse. It was a former three speed with the three speed broken. In total on Jame's bike we replaced the grips, the brake handles, the front and back brake line, the front brake caliper, a new front tire, a new lock, and a reflector. By far I had a lot more fun on his bike being able to practically replace almost all the parts on a bike. The cost for all the repairs was only about $50. A success in my book.

I am also fixing Yoichi's bike because the first day I rode it here, it had a flat the next morning. (For some this bike is known as 'Orange') I took the back tire off and found out the tube had been patched twice in the same spot and was leaking there again. I bought a new tube and in the process of trying to put the chain back on, I realized that I pushed the pin all the way out of the chain and ruined his chain trying to fix it. Afterwards, I realized that there is a masterlink on the chain and I didn't have to push the pin out. One new chain later and hopefully I can fix his bike soon.

Lauren and James arrived in Tokyo today and they will have orientation along with 24 other college students spending two months of there summer here in Japan. They will arrive in Utsu on this upcoming Wednesday Night. It feels a little weird being on the opposite side. I have been in there shoes twice but now I am in the reverse role. Please pray for them as they adjust to Japan and that our upcoming Sendai trip will be a good time.

The Sendai Trip is this Friday through Sunday where we head 3 hours north to Sendai with students from BEST and have a work project, a Bible Discussion, and a cookout on the beach. This is a great opportunity for Freshman to get more involved and for the summer friends to get to know some of the students right away. Please pray that our relationships with students will grow deeper in this time. Thank you for your prayers and support.