ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA
E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com, Web Site: www.assistnews.net


Wednesday, August 25, 2004

CHRISTIAN BIKERS WASH BIKES FOR FREE AT STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA  (ANS) -- “This year the Sturgis trip was awesome. God The Holy Spirit showed up in such a powerful way. People would comment over and over how peaceful and loving our parking lot was compared to the chaos that was just six blocks away,” said Mike Bushilla of St. Paul, Minnesota, about this year’s Bike Wash for Jesus at the world-famous Bikers’ Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. (Pictured: BikeWashDay.jpg -- Some of the bikers who took advantage of the free bike wash in Sturgis).

“Our group of 20-30 dedicated believers from all walks of life, bikers and non-bikers alike came to Sturgis to wash motorcycles,” Bushilla told ASSIST News Service (ANS).

“We ministered to people from all over the world who stopped by the free bike wash. The map which we had on the wall of USA and The world represented some nine different countries and nearly every state. We washed an estimated 1,000 bikes, gave away 2,500 hot dogs, 50 gallons of coffee, 80 gallons of lemon aid and over 1,000 biker bibles. Many asked why are we doing this? (Pictured: Free-hot-sign.jpg -- Sign by the bike wash parking lot advertises free bike wash and hot dogs).

”Our response? : ‘This simple act of Love is a demonstration of what Jesus did for us by asking you if we could wash your bike for you free of charge with nothing in return. No help or donation accepted. You see this bike wash was set up to show you the love that Jesus Christ has for us all. God demonstrated His Love toward us by giving His Son as a ransomed sacrifice for our sins. We cannot earned it, buy it or even help in it. We simply just must accept it by faith. The same way you accept this free gift of washing your motorcycle.’ ”

Bushilla said many prayers went up this year for the people that entered into the free wash.

“We had 12 people give there lives over to Jesus Christ, that we know of, hopefully many more. Please keep praying for the seed that was sown this year at the free bike wash.”

The following testimony is from one of the bike washer volunteers.

MY EXPERIENCE AT STURGIS 2004

”For many years I had imagined myself riding to the motorcycle Mecca, Sturgis South Dakota. But for some reason each year something came up which kept me from attending the annual bike rally,” said Larry Houghton.

”Bike week in Sturgis, is an opportunity for free spirited bikers to forget about their lives at home and taste the ‘anything goes’ life-style that most don't know exists.”

In May 2004, Houghton was asked to go with his church group for a week on a missions trip to the Sturgis rally. Not fully understanding what this trip was about, he immediately began questioning everyone involved, the important logistical questions such as, when do we leave? What is the cost? etc.

“The more I heard the more I realized this was a God driven missions trip with no time for any motorcycle mania. The mission was to show Christ's love in a practical way by each day washing motorcycles from 9AM - 4PM and the balance of the time to be spent in prayer or fellowship with the group or other Christ guided bikers who would volunteer to help.

“My mind wasn't truly sure about this but my heart knew this is what I was meant to do,” Houghton said.

On top of giving the week of vacation the bikers were to raise the necessary funds to go. So a letter was written and Houghton sent them out to the people he thought would understand.

“Satan immediately whispered in my ear that everyone would think I was merely attempting to finance my way to the rally. As soon as people and churches received the request they sent money and promises to pray for God's guidance and protection.”

Two months later with the money raised and the bike ready to go, he rode out of the driveway to meet the group for breakfast and head to Sturgis.

“To be honest I was somewhat uncomfortable riding with a group that I had no experience riding with,” Houghton said.

On Saturday evening they arrived in Sturgis and pulled into the church parking lot where their week would be spent. They would be sleeping on the floor of the classrooms in a church that had donated their facilities for the week. Sunday morning they attended the worship service and then set up the parking lot for the bike wash.

”For most of these bikers their bike is their most prized possession, and to let anyone wash it is unheard of,” Houghton siad.

Houghton said that in spite of this, on Monday morning, by 9AM, bikers were lined up and waiting to have their bikes washed. When the washing was started the washer told the biker that they would be praying for their safety and that the bike would be mechanically sound. Then they asked if they would like prayer for anything else.

“This is where God showed up. You see, these bikers come to Sturgis with their spirit open to anything. Lucifer quickly rushes through the door to steal, kill and destroy. However the door is open for God to visit also,” said Houghton.

One of the first bikers he encountered allowed Houghton to pray with him and his passenger for the children they had left behind so they could come and party for a week.

“After praying with them they told me they were going back home. Another biker asked prayer for his eighteen year-old daughter, who was just starting the party life-style. Another prayed the sinner's prayer right in the middle of the parking lot,” he said.

The bike wash was only one example that displayed Christ's love, he said.

Along with the 'bike wash and dry' the rider and passenger are given a biker's Bible, 2 hot dogs, coffee, lemonade, or water with no strings attached. (Pictured: ParkingLot.jpg -- A view of the parking lot in Sturgis where the free bike wash was held).

One after another these sin-hardened bikers were touched by the love of God shown to them freely. Most insisted on giving donations, but the bike wash crew would not allow them to buy or earn anything.

“This allowed us once again to share the free love of Christ and His sacrifice,” Houghton said.

Early Tuesday morning Houghton awoke with a message that he felt he was to deliver to the founder of this ministry, Michael Bushilla.

After sharing it with him he insisted Houghton share it with the whole group.

The vision given to Houghton was of the Tabernacle that Moses was to set up for the children of Israel in the desert. In the temple the sacrifice was brought to the priest where he wrapped his arms or hands around the offering and took its life. Then entering the tent the priest prayed over the sacrifice and then moved into the Holy of Holies where the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the Arc of the Covenant and sins were washed away.

“God showed me that what we were doing was parallel to this act as the biker rolled his bike into the wash tent where the washer wrapped hands and arms around the bike while praying for the biker. Next the bike was moved to the dry tent, where the same prayers continued,” Houghton said.

On Wednesday evening Michael Bushilla was contacted to see if the Ten Commandment monument that once graced the halls of the Alabama Courthouse could be brought to God's free bike wash parking lot.

Alabama judge Roy Moore was forced to remove the monument from the courthouse because it displayed the Ten Commandments. Bushilla quickly agreed to welcome it.

Thursday morning the monument arrived on a trailer and parked right outside the dry bays. Later that day Bushilla Michael came to Houghton and showed him how the Ten Commandments had been delivered to them and placed in the Holy of Holies. This was one more remarkable parallel to the temple vision, Houghton recalled.  (Pictured: Michael-&-Paula-10Cmd.jpg -- Michael Bushilla and his wife Paula with the Ten Commandments monument from Alabama).

“Looking back at the week, it now becomes so clear to me that God is not looking for great people to do miraculous things, but for common people willing to be used in miraculous ways. I have been privileged to pray with sin-hardened bikers and blessed to watch the mustard seed Christ spoke of fall on soil prepared by a previous servant. Now our prayers are for the next servants to water, weed, and harvest.

”Will I be back next year? I have given that to God. However this missions trip is one that reaches bikers in the New Testament way by showing love. The kind of love with no strings attached. Freely you have received - freely give.”
** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Garden Grove, CA. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in Sept., 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.
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