A helping of chicken, with grace on the side!

Food...it's an essential...right?! It fills your belly, provides energy, stops a craving...pretty much important for life. Today we learned the lesson very well...and were provided grace from a dad who shows favor even when we try to be big girls.

It all started when we moved into our apartment last night, in the midst of a a great hahboob (sand storm). We had just spent the entire day cleaning our new wonderful apartment and were very excited to move in. We get home after fellowship, and see that the hard work that had been put into cleaning, was equally matched by our new, overly friendly, friend, The Great Hahboob. As true sojourners, we sucked it up and said "maalesh" (whatev in arabic), tomorrow is another day, and now is time for sleep. We woke up this morning, ready to fight the battle and clean once again. We are in the midst of getting a new refrigerator and stove, so for now we have the old ones. I got up, decided it would be nice to have some cold water, so plugged in the fridge. After that, me and the sisters, proceed to scrub the orange away and once again settle into our new home. The day goes fine, the new fridge is not delivered, but I have great faith in our old one....so maalesh. Maalesh....it was not. After taking a greatly needed nap, I rush to the fridge to test it out, anticipating great coldness, and there is nothing...nothing. No cold, no noise of the fan spinning...just dead silence. I look at the door in defeat, but gather the sisters and proclaim it is time to head to the market. It was getting late and dinner needed to be gotten. Me and Maria head out for an adventure, in search of susbstinance that could be eaten, but not refrigerated. We decided our best bet was some fooul (kinda like refried beans) and bread. We had been given a great portion of salata le al fin (salad) from a friend, so we decided combined would be a wonderful meal. We walked around searching, unto our avail. Fooul is mainly only cooked in the morning and the late evening. We met a friend who told us it would probably be ready at 7pm. So we went home, toasted a little soda to our first day and waited excitedly till 7. (side note: I don't ever remember a time in my life I was excited to be eating beans!) At 7, the sisters , scarved up and with beans in our sight, head out. We walk...and walk...and walk some more, but find none. Every place we were told had them...there was none. We stopped at a little stand to ask if they had any, only to be pointed in the direction of a gathering of men smoking pipes....not what we were hoping for! So we travel home, defeated and feeling the pain of hunger. Upon arriving we ancounter our lovely land lady who says, "I will go get you some food...as a house warming". We debated...not cause we didn't trust her taste in food, but just because pride is a lion and we really didn't want to put more trouble on her. We aggreed to her sweet prodding, and waited as she went out. While waiting, the Sun shown his grace through a sweet time of reflection and song. We saw that the sun wants the best for us, and he shines even when we don't understand. A soft knock at the door opened to a banquet of food...fried chicken, fish and chips, salad, bread, and a even soda. Our hearts here humbled, our bellies were filled, and once again the sun shown his grace on three little girls who need the strength from a dad who has great big arms.