I’ve always refused to kill bugs and have judged people who have. It has always seemed so terrible and senseless to me. Didn’t God make enough room on this great earth for all of His many and varied creatures?

I cannot emphasize enough how fast living in India has changed my tune. “Die suckers!” I shout nightly as I spray insect-killer at whole armies of ants on their way from my door to my bed. And nothing is more satisfying than smashing bugs between my book pages– those who are attracted to the glow of my flashlight and make it through my mosquito net. This morning I used my trash can to violently slice a giant spider right in half. Such a victory. Does it even get any better than that?