A priest and a nun were stranded in the middle of the desert.<\/p>\n
And neither of them had any idea how they were going to get home.<\/p>\n
They had been traveling with a small caravan when their camel suddenly collapsed beneath the brutal afternoon sun.<\/p>\n
The driver had gone ahead on foot to search for help.<\/p>\n
He promised he would return.<\/p>\n
But by the second day, he still hadn’t.<\/p>\n
By the third day, their water was almost gone.<\/p>\n
By the fourth, their food consisted of half a biscuit, three dates, and a small packet of crackers the nun had been saving for an emergency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis,\u201d the priest said, staring at the empty horizon, \u201cis officially an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve been considering eating the crackers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said those were for an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest looked at the tiny packet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are six crackers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ate one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was testing them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor poison?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor freshness.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest sighed.<\/p>\n
The desert stretched in every direction.<\/p>\n
Nothing moved.<\/p>\n
No birds.<\/p>\n
No vehicles.<\/p>\n
No buildings.<\/p>\n
Just sand, rocks, and an enormous orange sun.<\/p>\n
By sunset, they were sitting beside their small tent.<\/p>\n
The priest looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSister?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Father?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t think we’re getting out of here alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun stared at the sunset.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve been thinking the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
They sat in silence.<\/p>\n
The priest looked at the ground.<\/p>\n
Then at the nun.<\/p>\n
Then at the ground again.<\/p>\n
Finally, he cleared his throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cSister?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we’re going to die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something I’ve always wanted to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He became visibly nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I see your chest?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy chest?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She studied him for several seconds.<\/p>\n
Then, surprisingly, she nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n
She opened the front of her travel bag.<\/p>\n
Inside was a large metal emergency chest.<\/p>\n
The priest blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou meant this chest, didn’t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded awkwardly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She opened it.<\/p>\n
Inside were medical supplies, a flashlight, a blanket, two candles, a sewing kit, and a small mirror.<\/p>\n
The priest sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m relieved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you expecting something else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou hesitated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was thirsty.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest looked through the emergency supplies.<\/p>\n
Then the nun suddenly said,<\/p>\n
\u201cFather?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I see your private parts?\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest nearly dropped the flashlight.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour private parts.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at her.<\/p>\n
The desert suddenly seemed much hotter.<\/p>\n
\u201cSister\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuite sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest swallowed.<\/p>\n
Then, after a long pause, he agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n
He showed her what she had asked for.<\/p>\n
The nun looked carefully.<\/p>\n
Then she looked again.<\/p>\n
She nodded thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
The priest became even more confused.<\/p>\n
Finally, she smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cFather, if you put that in the right place, it could give us life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest’s mouth fell open.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow could that possibly help us?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun pointed toward his belt.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause that’s the water bottle opener.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked down.<\/p>\n
There was a small metal tool attached to his belt.<\/p>\n
He stared at it.<\/p>\n
Then at her.<\/p>\n
Then back at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called this my private part?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn’t know the proper name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a bottle opener!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou nearly gave me a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun laughed.<\/p>\n
Then she pointed toward the emergency chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow put it in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest inserted the opener into the cap of their last water container.<\/p>\n
It popped open.<\/p>\n
They both stared at the bottle.<\/p>\n
There was only a little water left.<\/p>\n
The priest carefully poured half into a cup and gave it to the nun.<\/p>\n
She took a sip.<\/p>\n
Then handed it back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou drink.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo do you.\u201d<\/p>\n
They passed the cup back and forth until there was nothing left.<\/p>\n
Then they sat quietly beneath the stars.<\/p>\n
After a few minutes, the priest began laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can’t believe what just happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought I was asking about something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely did.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was preparing for my final confession.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cFather!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was!\u201d<\/p>\n
They laughed so hard that, for a moment, they forgot they were stranded.<\/p>\n
Then the priest suddenly pointed toward the horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you see that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Far away, a tiny light was moving across the desert.<\/p>\n
The nun stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cA vehicle!\u201d<\/p>\n
They began waving.<\/p>\n
The light grew larger.<\/p>\n
A rescue truck finally appeared.<\/p>\n
The driver jumped out.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you both okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest shouted,<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re alive!\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun added,<\/p>\n
\u201cBarely!\u201d<\/p>\n
The driver looked at their broken-down camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you survive out here for five days?\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest looked at the nun.<\/p>\n
The nun looked at the priest.<\/p>\n
Then she smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeamwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd excellent use of private parts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun immediately elbowed him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFather!\u201d<\/p>\n
The driver stared at them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t even want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really don’t.\u201d<\/p>\n
As they climbed into the rescue truck, the priest looked back at the desert.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, Sister\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNext time we’re stranded somewhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She interrupted him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m bringing the map.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you’re bringing the water.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd no more questions about private parts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nun looked at him suspiciously.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless we’re talking about the bottle opener.\u201d<\/p>\n
They both burst out laughing.<\/p>\n
And that was how two exhausted religious travelers survived five days in the desert\u2014not because of a miracle, not because of a secret oasis, and certainly not because of what the priest’s imagination had briefly convinced him the nun meant.<\/p>\n
They survived because they had one thing that dehydration couldn’t take away:<\/p>\n
the ability to laugh when everything else had gone wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, when life leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere, the best survival tool isn’t what you carry in your emergency kit.<\/p>\n It’s having someone beside you who can make you laugh when you’re certain you’re finished.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A priest and a nun were stranded in the middle of the desert. And neither of them had any idea how they were going to get home. They had been … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-h-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67772"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67843,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67772\/revisions\/67843"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/67773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discovernews9.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}