Here in Papua New Guinea my wife Erika and I have not had too many strange experiences yet. There is the matter of the lettuce, though.

Yesterday was Friday, and Friday is a market day. Every Tuesday and Friday morning at six thirty some of the local villagers sell fresh produce down by the main road. They sell various different kinds of fruit and vegetables including fresh, green heads of lettuce.

Erika usually goes down to the market to buy vegetables for the week. After bringing them home she washes them in a solution of bleach water to thwart disease causing germs and bacteria. Microorganisms are not the only creatures to be found in one's vegetables, however.

Yesterday morning she told me she'd found a big grasshopper in the lettuce. That wasn't so bad. She's been keeping a tally of her encounters. First on the list is a large slug which, although it was quite harmless, did not find favor in the chef's heart. Second is a creature which was emerging from a caccoon. Erika was not able to identify it, and I never saw it, so it will have to remain a mystery for now. It was probably some type of moth whose first stage of life was spent munching on tender lettuce leaves. There have been various other bugs as well, some winged varieties, which have graced our kitchen sink.

Ironically, the lady who sells the lettuce would probably be much more interested in what we've found in the lettuce than the lettuce itself. We, however, have not yet aquired a taste for the smaller species of live protein. It does provide entertainment, if not nutrition, and it certainly makes the job of cleaning the vegetables much more interesting.

Who knows what charming or alarming critter will be in the lettuce next week... We're glad for the beautiful and interesting things that God brings our way.