If middle school writing class taught me anything, it’s that when you don’t know how to begin a paper, try starting with the phrase, “According to Webster’s” and a definition of a word. Let’s see if that little trick works for blog posts, too.
According to Webster’s, motorcycle is defined as:
mo·tor·cy·cle (ˈmō-tər-ˌsī-kəl)
:an automotive vehicle with two in-line wheels
Since this isn’t middle school, I’m adding in the following:
See also: a blessing
Okay, you probably already knew what a motorcycle is before enlisting the help of an online dictionary. But have you ever stopped to think about how a motorcycle can be a blessing? Esdras recently had the chance to talk with a pastor who received a motorcycle through the Sowers4Pastors in a previous year. This pastor lives two to three hours from Gracias. Before he received his motorcycle, he and his family walked six hours to get to church. This wasn’t some easy-breezy walk in the park, either. It was a six-hour hike on bad roads and rugged mountainous terrain. Contrary to the old song by The Commodores, there was nothing easy about that pastor’s Sunday mornings! FYI, six hours is long enough to fly from Miami to Honduras and back with enough time to grab a Cinnabon in the airport!
The pastor wanted the motorcycle to have a shorter time to travel to church. He got more than he bargained for. One time when someone was sick, the pastor gave the person a ride to the hospital. The patient credits that act with saving his life. The pastor has also been able to help out by giving people rides to church. Today, that motorcycle is still going strong and is being used to grow the Kingdom of God. Now that he isn’t hiking six hours to church, the pastor has more time to prepare sermons, enjoy time with his family, and be at church. In fact, he is now the pastor of three churches!
If you’ve been acquainted with S4P for long, you probably remember that the recipients of the motorcycles are required to pay for 50% of the cost, with the remaining 50% coming from donations. The reason Sowers4Pastors doesn’t pay the full amount is because the pastors appreciate their motorcycles more when they partner with the ministry. It also insures that the pastor will be able to find the resources to actually maintain the motorcycle and purchase fuel. This method also means the ministry is able to help twice as many people.
The next batch of motorcycles should be distributed sometime in June. It takes a couple of months to receive them after the order is placed. That’s because the ministry buys a specific model that is good for mountains and bad roads. Esdras is already looking forward to the day the pastors will receive their motorcycles. He shared, “You have no idea what the emotions are like on the faces of the pastors. They are like kids with candy!”
Esdras continued, “It’s a fantastic time with the pastors. After they receive their motorcycles, we share a devotional with them. It’s a unique opportunity for these pastors to meet together. We talk about how important their lives and their ministries are. Sometimes the pastors think they are working alone. We want to tell them, ‘God is with you and we are with you. You are so important. That is emotional.”
Please pray about making a donation to the motorcycle ministry. And pray about the impact these automotive vehicles with two in-line wheels will make!
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