An Ingenious Solution

THREE young men in Central Africa wanted to attend a district convention in their locality. How would they get there? It was nearly 60 miles [90 km] away over rough, dusty roads, and they had no transportation. They decided to borrow three bicycles but could not find suitable ones.

An elder in the local congregation saw their plight and offered his own bicycle​—old but functional. He explained how he and others had in the past organized themselves to get to a convention. The elder recommended that they share one bike among the three of them. A simple but challenging solution. How could this possibly work?

To avoid the hot sun, the young brothers met early in the morning and loaded the bicycle with their luggage. The first one on the bike pedaled ahead, and the other two followed briskly on foot. After about a third of a mile [500 m], the rider stopped and leaned the loaded bicycle against a tree. Of course, he took care to keep the bike within view of the others in order to prevent a stranger from “borrowing” it. The first rider continued the journey on foot.

When the other two reached the bike, one rode on it and the other kept walking another third of a mile [500 m] or so before taking his turn. So with good planning and determination, the three were able to cut their walking down from 60 miles [90 km] to about 40 miles [60 km]. It was worth the effort. They met with their Christian brothers and sisters at the convention and enjoyed the spiritual banquet. (Deut. 31:12) This year, will you do all you can to attend the district convention in your locality?