Even so, if I need a repair, I'll spend a few minutes with the tire guy and then I'll be on my way. It won't be a big deal. It won't affect my livelihood.
This week, we have the privilege of hosting a group of young people from Illinois who have come to serve the trash cart workers who travel through our neighborhood on the way to the city dump. In our city of Reynosa, the majority of trash collection is made with horse (or donkey or burro) and cart. This week, the team is spending their days making repairs to the carts. It's a very tangible service that meets specific needs in our community- making a real difference to a part of the community we live and serve alongside. It's one of our favorite weeks of the year.
In the past we have had veterinarians and vet students, even farriers, to provide care for the animals as well. But unfortunately, no professionals were able to make the trip this time. So on this day, a college student who has a little bit of experience caring for horses and a dear friend who is a nurse take on the work of the vets. I walk with them and hold the box of meds and collect used syringes and pet the horses. What I do is probably not enough to add "Veterinary Assistant" to my resume, but it's something.
The ladies adjust the dosage on deworming meds and stick the syringe through the lips of unsuspecting horses and donkeys. They have tetanus vaccines to administer, thump-thump-thumping on the necks of the animals before quicklyquickly giving the shot. Some of the beasts seem to know immediately that the meds are coming and turn their heads and even start to back away. Others take the dosage completely unfazed and return to chomping on the nearby grass.
It's easy for us Americans to look at horses as giant pets, talking to them in the same singsong voice we might use with our dogs. Sometimes we ask the owners what the name of their horse is, which might be returned with a confused look and "He has no name." These animals aren't pets- they are engines. They provide the means to making a living. The horse gets hurt, and the garbage collector is out of work. And as such, a few medicines to help keep the animal healthy? That can be a big deal. I hope for the best for my questionable tire. How much more would it mean if the bulk of my earnings depended on it working?
Honestly, we see some animals in pretty poor shape. Some appear malnourished and thin. Others have wounds from rubbing on their harnesses, made even more noticeable when the sun comes out and flies appear. It must be a terrible thing when someone of very minimal means has to ration food between his horse and his family. But others take pride in being able to provide for their animals. One man proudly told me that his horse is named "Gordito," "the little fat one," because he feeds him so well. We laughed. Not long later another worker told me that they rent their horse, for about 10 dollars a day, and it's a stretch to make the payment each week.
Either way, our prayer is that by serving these folks, we treat them with the dignity that they deserve as image-bearers, that they know the love of Christ through our actions and by our words. No matter what the culture or where the place, it would be rare to find garbage workers esteemed in most societies. Many might be quick to think as these folks as "the least of these," the poor, the marginalized, the bottom rung of the social tier. But at an even more basic level, our service to these folks is simply to love God and to love others. This week reminds us again that because our God has done the greatest good for us in providing Christ, our lives overflow with love for others, hopefully in very practical ways.
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