As a child, the discovery of a
caterpillar brings such lighthearted joy! As he tickles the back of
your hand, he also tickles the innermost being. Thousands of giggles
can be spent on watching this creature use his hind legs to scrunch
up his body, as his front legs stretch him back out. As the
springtime sun beats down on your little face, you ponder the way
this little critter will soon be flapping his beautiful wings in the
summer sun. Caterpillars were always such a great childhood memory
for me. However, April 2013 will be the date that forever changes the
way I think of caterpillars.
I have been attending New Heart for
almost three years now. This is the church many call, “The African
Church.” However, I prefer to call them “Family.” Pastor Donald
and his wife Mama Julienne are from the Congo, and as many Congolese
refugees come to Boise, they are teaching people ways they can help
these refugees as they adjust to America. I decided to attend the
culture orientation night with my best friend, Kelly. Mama let us in
on a little secret about the night: an opportunity to eat some
genuine African food. Now, that was nothing new to me. I spent a
month in Uganda, and have been to some killer meals with the people
at New Heart where I have enjoyed some awesome food. Then Mama takes
it a step further. She informs us that she will be bringing
caterpillars. The only other bugs I ate was a moth when I was two,
and an ant when I was in the fifth grade (What? For some reason that
was the cool thing to do).
I wasn't nervous. I knew these little
critters would not become my favorite snack, but I would be able to
get one down without any serious issues. I also knew it would not be
the last bug I ate. I want to be a missionary in Uganda. A few
different Ugandans have informed me they want to make me crickets the
next time I go. If I actually want to do this, then I must be willing
to eat this little bug now. Kelly on the other hand was not as calm.
She has a queasy stomach, and she is a little more picky than I am.
She informed me on our way to this meeting that she almost did not
come, because she was too nervous about these caterpillars.
We arrived, and right away Kelly
noticed two pots at the front of the church. Our fate was sealed. We
were eating caterpillars that night. The time finally came, and we
marched on forward. No more trying to hide. We grabbed one each, and
then we grabbed an African doughnut (a personal favorite of mine). As
we found our way back to our seats, Kelly tried to back out. Everyone
else ate in ignorance to the little critter they ate... don't they
say, “ignorance is bliss”? However, we already knew what was
going down our throats. Mama gave us the chance to ponder it for a
few days! I held mine in my hand. Kelly pointed out the eyes, the
legs, and every little detail of the shriveled up creature. She tried
to say she couldn't do it. She stared at me with nervous eyes, as I
popped the entire thing into my mouth like I have been doing it for
years! Her face went from nervous to horrified in a split of a
second. I found it tasting a little fishy, but not horrible. I could
easily eat one again in the same manner. Finally, Kelly got the
little guy in her mouth, and slowly began to chew.
“IT JUST SQUIRTED IN MY MOUTH!!!”
As you bite down into these little guys, they do burst a little, and
it freaked Kelly out! “I don't know if I can swallow this.”
“Dude. Kelly. You ate a dog cookie
for a free coffee with less complaining than this! Once you down
that, eat the doughnut. Those are seriously fantastic.” Laughing at
one of our best memories, she got the little guy down.
After the meeting, Kelly pulls her
pointer finger up into the air. She then starts motioning the way a
caterpillar crawls across a surface. She pulls the tip of her finger
in, and as though it were walking, she stretches it back out. She
then states, “My stomach is doing this.” I burst out in laughter
as I imagine a caterpillar crawling inside our stomachs.
We decided to reward ourselves with a
coffee from our favorite Dutch Bros. We pull up to the window to find
our friend Zack working. As usual, he asks with great enthusiasm,
“Whats up guys?!” As we proudly proclaim that we ate
caterpillars, his face drops from a huge smile down to pure shock.
The enthusiasm in his voice turned to worry, as he proclaims, “Why
would you DO THAT?!?” Only for my love of Africa, my friend!
As I think of this event, I see so many
things I learned. One: I was made for Africa. My African sister
Christine confirmed this. She stated, “You were meant to be an
African, sis!” Indeed I am. God made me with the intentions of me
working in Uganda. It took me a long time to figure it out, but
things like this always prove to me that I should be there. If I can
just down a caterpillar without trouble, I think I can handle any
weird thing that comes my way. Two: I have a pretty awesome best
friend! She will manage to swallow a caterpillar because of some
crazy event I drag her to. She probably already knows these
caterpillars will not be the craziest thing I get her to do! Three:
The world is a beautifully diverse place. I am so thankful that God
has given me an appreciation for culture. Life would be so boring
without these cultural explorations I am apart of all the time. I
praise Him for those things, and I praise Him for caterpillars!
