Bike Repair in Guatemala

 When we arrived at the Land Hope there was already a big pile of bikes waiting to be repaired, most of them were in pretty rough shape. The Land of Hope is a short walk from the garbage dump; where people who live nearby work to find recyclables to make a small amount of money. 

In the photo to the right you will see a young man, just 16 years old, who works in the garbage dump; that is often on fire and filled with heavy, thick smoke.

In February of 2025 we spent three full days repairing bikes at the Land of Hope. When I came across the yellow bike, it seemed hopeless. The pedals wouldn’t move, the handlebars wouldn’t move; I sprayed some PB blaster to try to loosen everything up, but no luck. We had pretty much declared the bike a lost cause, when the 16 year old boy that was working in the dumps came up and pointed out that the yellow bike was his.
Instant heartbreak. I said to John, “somehow we have to fix this bike.” Before we left for the evening I sprayed the bike like crazy, praying that by the time we arrived the next day maybe, just maybe, it would loosen up.
That night at devotions we prayed over the yellow bike, praying for a miracle.

The next day when we arrived I went straight to the yellow bike. At first I tried the pedals, they moved a little, and then a full rotation! I was ecstatic! The same thing happened when I tried the handlebars! Praise the Lord, we were going to be able to fix the yellow bike! 

Seeing that young man ride away on his bike was the highlight of my week. Being able to provide just a glimmer of hope in a place where things are pretty bleak, is what tugs at my heart and keeps me going back again and again. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years, because of you, John and I can keep fixing bikes; providing a small amount of joy to kids who have very little. 

-John & Bridgette