Chocolate & Caterpillars | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Chocolate & Caterpillars | Previous Challenge Entry
By Alma Madsen
02/11/16
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Chocolate & Caterpillars

Growing up in church I loved it when the missionaries came to visit. They always had such great stories. Whether funny or scary they were always fascinating.*

One missionary in particular stands out in my memory. Jim was a young man just back from his first missionary trip. He talked of going with his senior missionary, Charles, to different tribes in Africa where missionary work was ongoing. And how fascinating and rewarding. His ending story was about his first encounter with a previously unknown tribe.

The day they came face to face with this fearsome looking tribe had begun just as any other. After their morning routine they shrugged into their backpacks then joined hands with their team and prayed about contacting this tribe.

Hours into their trek had turned up nothing. Then, without a warning sound, six painted warriors armed with long, sharp spears leaped in front of them.

Jim's heart caught in his throat as he and Charles froze in place. The warriors were terrifying as they stood staring at the two white men.

With the warriors surrounding them they walked forward for a long while. When they finally broke into a clearing they saw a well-kept village and a large tribe of scantily clad people. Jim silently sent up a fervent prayer as he watched the natives shift around and encircle them. After a good while Charles and the Chief began a halting conversation.

As Jim listened to his senior's spotty communication with the tribal chief he noticed a young boy of about ten years peeking at him. Seeing the curious boy reminded him that often times the children could be the key to reaching a new people.

He dug into his pack and pulled out a melted chocolate bar. At the next lull in the conversation between the two leaders Jim asked Charles to request permission for him to share his chocolate bar with the boy.

A few minutes later the Chief beckoned to his son. The boy came forward and stood next to his father. Jim, realizing all eyes were focused on him opened the melted bar's wrapping with great care.

Not knowing what else to do he scooped his index finger into the chocolate goo and plopped it into his mouth. He smacked his lips, rubbed his belly and grinned at the boy. Then he held it out to the boy. After a moment the boy stepped closer. He looked at the chocolate and then at Jim. Jim nodded, smiled, and held out the goo again. Finally, the boy reached out. With three fingers he scooped up a blob of chocolate and plopped it into his mouth.

Jim watched in horror as the boy started digging at his mouth and making gagging noises. The tribes-people made an alarming uproar. The boy took off running. A terrified Jim was right behind him followed by the tribes-people.

The boy ran to a creek, threw himself onto his belly, and began raking water into his mouth. After he had washed it all out he turned his head to the side. There on a leaf was a fat, green caterpillar. To Jim's great surprise the boy scooped up the caterpillar, dropped it into his mouth, and chewed. He swallowed, smiled, and leaped to his feet. He looked at Jim and smiled even bigger as he smacked his lips and rubbed his stomach.

Then the boy began searching the vegetation. He soon returned to Jim with a big smile and held out his hand. When he opened his hand Jim felt his stomach lurch at the sight of a fat, green caterpillar. He forced a smile, nodded at the boy, hauled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Picking up the caterpillar he dropped it into his mouth and forced himself to bite once and swallow. After several hard swallows to keep it down he looked at the boy, smacked his lips, rubbed his stomach, and smiled. To Jim's great relief the tribes-people erupted into squeals of delight.

Thanks to a little boy, a melted chocolate bar, and two fat, green caterpillars Jim and Charles were welcomed into the village, a new fertile field for the Gospel opened up, and numerous tribes-people gave their lives to Christ before Jim's return to the States.

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1 This is inspired from a long ago memory. The names are not real.

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