I work for a Lin Mfg & Design, a sock manufacturer located in Logan, UT. The owners of the factory also own factories in China. In Dec 2011, I was invited to participate in a 90 mile bike ride in and through the remote villages of China. This was my first Christmas away from my family, but I felt I could not pass up this opportunity. Many employees from our company as well as many from a church group got together and purchased a several hundred bicycles. It was a 3 day bike ride. We started off at the same location and ended at the same location each day. Each day we would ride about 30 miles through different remote villages visiting the poor and needy. On the last day, we ended up at a elementary/junior high school in which we donated ALL the bikes that we rode on to the children. Many of the children would have to walk 2 hours one way to school. You should have seen their faces when they found out that we were giving them brand new bikes. I was the only "white" person on this trip and was treated like a movie star, at least it seamed that way sometimes. As I would ride through these villages, I got many stares, some of these people have never seen a white person before. I would wave as I would ride, some would just stare back and not wave because they had no idea what I was trying to say. I remember a part of the ride that I will never forget. I was riding through a VERY POOR part of China and the houses looked like they were huts with no windows and two little girls jumping rope with smiles on their faces and happy as could be. It was during that moment that it help sink into my mind that a person can be happy no matter their surroundings or how poor they are. I have lots of pictures from this trip. If you choose my story, I will be happy to share more and discuss more about the trip.
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