🌿 How to properly eat a grasshopper 🐛 12-22-14

Here in the land of bugs-the-size-of-your-head, we have grasshoppers that are large enough to actually provide enough substance to sustain a person! So one of the members here decided to try it out. He and his wife have been collecting giant grasshoppers over the last two weeks to eat and when we came to their house for an appointment he proceeded to show us his collection that he had frozen. I somewhat jokingly told them it would be a fun thing to try out and before I knew it we had a return dinner appointment to eat fried grasshopper... That dinner took place this week and I did in fact eat one. It wasn't that bad actually. The only nasty part was looking into its creepy little eyes, but once I grabbed it by the head and bit off the bottom half it wasn't half bad. :) I only have a picture of them on the plate, but brother Jeans said he posted the ones of us eating them on Facebook. I love that family! 

In other adventures I chopped my hair off and lost my voice all in the same day! The chopping of the hair was kind of spontaneous. I tried to trim it myself and failed miserably so Sister Blain helped out and then we decided that I should probably just go to a salon and after three people "trimming" it my hair is now 6 inches shorter. I actually like it though so that's awesome! Later that same day I came up with the brilliant idea to challenge my companions to see who could scream the loudest. Let's just say I won and because Of that I have spent the last week sounding like Johnny Cash. 

On a more reverent note... We had an incredible experience with a family we are teaching. About a month ago I asked Mom to order me a couple manger scenes that I could give to families we were teaching. I wanted to share our Christmas Eve tradition of reading Luke chapter 2 and setting up the nativity. Well we went over to the family's home and taught them for the first time as an entire family. It was awesome! At the very end we pulled out the box with the nativity and when they opened it the 10 year old girl clasped her hands over her mouth and then ran over and hugged each of us. Apparently it was the first manger scene they have ever had. I have always known Christmas isn't about the presents and what not, but seeing how happy this little girl was over a nativity just melted my heart. 

There are so many people who don't have all the ✨sparkle✨ that comes with the holiday season, but they are just as happy as those who do. Even though I have spent the last two Christmases away from family and with not very much of the glam of Christmas, they have been the most memorable. I know without a doubt it's because they have been so focused on the savior. I think the key to a memorable holiday season is serving others. I hope this is a tradition I can keep up throughout my life. I love you all and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! 

Love always,

Sister Upshaw