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Bicycles. Most of us remember having one as a child. We learned to ride and having our own bike seemed like a rite of passage from being a toddler to a child. In Bangladesh, its a status symbol if you own a bicycle. Most people walk, take rickshaws, or ride buses. Most don't know how to ride a bicycle. Thanks to donors, we have been able to teach our Home of Hope kids how to ride a bike. They love to take turns riding even on the hottest of days. The other day, returning home, we passed a young lady riding a bike. Any time you see a female in an unusual role (driving, riding bike, etc.) they will stand out. This time, as I gawked, I realized that I was seeing one of our former girls from the Home, riding to work! I was amazed and proud at the same time of her ability to have an amazing job and her boldness to step outside the norm to accomplish her goals. There's a Christian song titled, You Make Me Brave. Our kids love this song. It talks about our Champion, God, Who goes before us, preparing us to bravely enter into His grace--that He calls us beyond the shore, into the waves, beyond safety, to where we live in dependence on Him. Who knew that a bicycle could be a tool that would enable a young lady to push beyond cultural norms and enable her to reach the goals God has given her. I pray that I'll not let cultural expectations nor the safety of the known keep me from accomplishing what God has for me and daily depending on His grace.

-Sharon