One day I decided to call the mission office to see what they thought about it. I wanted to get one here and then mail it to him. I thought maybe since I was the 'mom', that I could find one a little bit cheaper, but still a good one. HAHA! Well, when I called the mission office the Elder there told me to wait until he arrived in the field, because there were many areas that were bus and car areas only. He told me it would be best to wait to see where he went.

I decided we'd wait. When he got to the field he bought a bike from another missionary for $20. Now, I must tell you that my son is a 'fix-it' kinda kid. He is always fixing something. He said to me when he got to the field... "Mom, don't worry about it. I bought an old bike for $20 from another missionary."

I was so grateful for that...you have no idea how grateful I was. I would ask him periodically about his bike. He'd say...."don't worry about it mom. I just keep fixing it when it breaks down." I had to chuckle, because it took me back the his childhood days. One day as he and a companion were riding them to the hospital to see someone, they had some 'problems'. It had stormed there the previous few days and it was very muddy. He wrote me an email and shared with me his experience in riding their bikes to see this person. It seems that they decided to take a shortcut on the way home. His bike broke.....like really broke this time. He said they had to walk most of the way home and because they had to walk, they decided to take this 'shortcut'. It turned out that it wasn't really a shortcut and they ended up pushing their bikes up this muddy, muddy hill and then letting them go by themselves down the other side. He said they would throw their helmets up the hill and then push their bikes up the hill and then repeat that all over until they reached the top.

I began to picture in my mind two muddy little missionaries that had ruined their suits. He told me he had his dress slacks and shirt on that day and he went right home and washed them. Then, I asked him if he needed a new bike. Again, he told me that he would fix it. It's amazing how the Lord works to help his missionaries. He and his companion had just moved to a new apartment. When he arrived at the new apartment, there was half a bike there. My son took this half of bike and put it with his other half of bike (his bike had broken right in two!) and made him a whole bike. I was so touched by how he was making this $20 bike do, that tears welled up in my eyes when he shared the story with me.

I had to laugh though, too. I wrote him a letter and told him I had named his bike 'Rickety Split'...lol. It seems fitting for a half and half bike. He said it worked fine. When I again asked him if he wanted us to get him a new bike...he simply said..."don't worry about it mom. I'm fine. My 'new' bike will work fine. Well, one day as I was searching the web for something for him, I came across the Missionary Mall website. They had a link to a company called CTR Bikes. They had a form where you could enter your missionary in a drawing for a new bike...BUT..you had to enter two months prior to their missions.

I was sad. I began to wish I had found this before he left. They had a place to send an email, so I sent an email asking if they could put my son in the drawing for a new bike....even though it said you had to enter two months before they left. I sort of explained the muddy bike story a little bit in the email and just asked if they could put him in the drawing for this new bike even though he was already on his mission and had been there for a few months.

One morning at 7:00 AM I received a phone call. It's that phone call where someone says your name to make sure they have the right person and then your heart stops because you don't know what they are going to tell you. I knew it was about my missionary, but I could have never guessed what was to come next.

The gentlemen on the phone asked me if my son was Elder Stewart. I replied that he was. Then, he said they had received my email and they wanted to send my son a new bike. I was shocked!!! I didn't know what to say. I had no words. I began to cry to the point that I was almost sobbing. I could barely get the words out to thank the man. I told him that I just wanted to know if they could put him in the drawing for this new bike. He said, no, it was okay because they had a fund for this type of thing.

He said they had called the mission president and had verified my story with them and they told him my son was a very valiant missionary and the story was true about his bike. He then told me they were sending him the new bike. I thanked the man over and over. It makes me cry even now to share this story with you.

I knew then that the Lord would provide a way for his missionaries to do his work, no matter what it took. I could have never provided him with a bike like they did. I didn't tell my son. I decided it was going to be a surprise. Well, when the new bike arrived at the mission home, the mission president's wife called and left a message on my son and his comp's answering machine saying they had a new bike in the office for an Elder Stewart.

There was another Elder Stewart in the mission and my son thought they had the wrong Elder. He then emailed me the next day and asked me if I had sent him a new bike. I told him no. Then, I shared the story with him. He was so touched and sooooooooo excited I can't tell you how excited he was. I told him that the Lord must have known that he needed this to continue his work and that he must have been blessed, because he was humble enough to take what he did when he got there and to make it work no matter what he had to do to have a bike. It was like Christmas that July. He sent me pics of him putting his new bike together.

He had to wait for about a week to get it and it drove him crazy. He didn't have a way to the mission home to pick it up. Some sweet members finally helped him get the bike. He then gave "Rickety Split" to another missionary. So by the kind act of this one man two missionaries were blessed, and who knows how many people were blessed because they could continue their work in the field.

I named his new bike 'Lickety Split', too, and he laughed and told me his comp was wondering what I would name it. We had a great laugh and now have a wonderful story to share about the kindness of others and the 'tender mercies of the Lord.' He truly knows what each of us need and when we need it. I loved Elder Bednar's talk during conference on "The Tender Mercies of the Lord." I see them in my life all the time.

AND yes, he did put duct tape on his new bike when he got it. I kept telling him to be careful with it and to make sure it was safe at all times, even though we had a warranty on the bike for the rest of his mission, I still wanted him to be careful with it. He told me, yetagain, "don't worry mom. We made it look old." I didn't know what he meant so he explained to me how they cover them in platic wrap, then cover that with duct tape (the wrap is so the tape doesn't ruin the paint). They do look old...LOL. It's interesting to see the tricks they learn to protect themselves and the things they need while they are in the field.

Thanks for letting me share this story. It was very touching to both my son and I. The people who did this for us are wonderful people!

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How to Select and Care for a Missionary Bicycle

Over the last week (April 25 - May 2) we have had no less than 5 requests for new bikes to replace used and low-quality bikes that failed.

We had a call, for example, from a missionary who had spent $300 for a used bike that ended up out of service within 4 weeks of purchase. Another mother called and lamented her decision to buy a used missionary bike that was represented as being in good condition. When her son took it to a shop to determine repair costs, everything it needed added up to over $150 in addition to what she paid for it. Another missionary opted for a discount department store bike that literally fell apart after less than 30 days of use.

The point is, saving money up front without really knowing what you're getting, and then subjecting the bike to the rigorous use a missionary puts it through is a formula for failure.

It may sound like we just want to sell bikes. But, it's more than that. A high quality new bike, properly sized and suited for the missionary, with a full warranty and theft protection is a far better investment than the unknown circumstances of a used or cheap new bike, and ultimately is going to save you the most money.

What many people don't realize is that a visible appraisal of a used bike is not a good gauge on which to make a buying decision. Whether the bike has been used a lot, or has been left sitting without proper protection and lubrication are unknown factors to a buyer. The front and back hubs, headset, and bottom bracket are all areas where lack of lubrication, excessive use or even lack of use will take their toll, and the buyer won't observe the potential problems until it's too late.

Discount bikes are not safe and are definitely not designed for the extreme use missionaries will give them. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, and in the case of the examples given here, every buyer had to spend between half and double what they should have paid for bikes. We encourage you to find the right quality bike with the right warranty for your missionary. And, be very, very cautious of what appears to be a bargain - it is likely a liability instead.

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