Matt Brown - Handlebars of Hope
Stuart Symmonds introduced Matt Brown, owner of High Gear Cyclery, who started a ministry called Handlebars of Hope. Matt's story started several years ago when he saw the hopelessness and poverty of the people living in a Mexican community with one of the highest crime rates in the world while on a missionary trip. Matt brought along on that same trip a few bicycles and gave them away to the locals, as well as completed some needed repair work on bicycles for the local families. He realized how appreciative that these people were for what he did, and how they deeply depended on low-cost bicycle transportation to hold down a job and make the lives of their families much easier. Returning several times to this same area in later missionary trips, Matt's ministry grew and began to take shape. This past winter, Matt and his family spent three months living in the area, working with United for Christ, helping the families with bicycle repair work and developing relationships with the families that continue. His plans are to teach some of the local people to run their own bicycle repair shops in the future. His ministry helps to bring hope to the lives of the people he touches as he shares the love of Christ among the people there.
This same ministry has extended here in Emporia as Matt has reached out to groups like SOS and the Men's Shelter by teaming up with others to provide bicycle transportation to those who are otherwise in need. This story is a great testimony of how God is working in Matt and his family to provide for others in need, while sharing the love of Jesus.