Day 7: Object Lessons

Today we woke to an overcast day. At breakfast Cathy told me that Hira, the pony, wasn't eating. Doris, Mertha and I went straight out to Roja to check on the little guy. We caught a rickshaw just outside the gate of the place we are staying.

We determined that Hira had colic, which means he had some sort of digestive upset which is typically a impaction (hay and feed compacting together due to a lack of water or some other stress; to be blunt it is like serious constipation). This can be serious in horses as they have over 100 feet of intestines and it can be very difficult to soften the impaction and get it to pass.

The first thing you do when a horse is colicing is start walking him. This help shake things up and hopefully if the get the impaction moving agian.

Learning how to deal with colic was not on the agenda for the day, but we had planned on picking up trash in Hira's pasture. We brought him down to the pasture with us and one person contiually walked him while everyone else picked up trash.

Trash is everywhere. There are no trash services here, so most people throw their trash out back. Very different from the U.S.

- Here I am talking to the vet about Hira -

Object Lesson 1: Eatting Trash

As Hira was walking he finally passed some manure!!! This is exciting because things are moving inside him again. This will sound funny to all the non-horse people, but I noticed that his manure didn't look normal. I picked up a stick and pooked through the pile. My proding discovered that a plastic bag, like the plastic grocery sack you get at Publix, had pass through his system. THIS was what caused the colic. I picked up the bag; using the stick of course and got everyone together.

THIS is why we want to keep the trash picked out of Hira's pasture. When he eats trash it makes him sick! Aaahhhh.... were the responses. The trash picking up efforts continued.

No way I could have planned this lesson, but it was perfect.

Object Lesson 2: Forgiveness

The vet came to give Hira some pain killers so the he could complete his recovery from colic just after lunch.


After the vet left we gathered together with the Freedom Firm staff and rescued girls for a group discussions. Doris shared about the power of forgiveness. She demonstrated how holding onto the hate for those who have hurt us keeps us in bondage to that pain. Forgiving the brothel keepers is an important part of moving on and experiencing healing.


Of course this is easier said than done. Sometimes we, the rescued girls and even me, need help forgiving people who have hurt us, no matter how serious the wounds.

- Doris demonstrates how not forgiving can bind us and prevent healing by wrapping Angela in rope for everything she has not forgiven others for. This makes her heart black. -

It was a Good day.