In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian
Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the
public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police
departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned,
abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They
relate the following story in their own words:
It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear for the first
time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in
Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus
was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff
sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp
every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to
make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I
had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.
Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the
manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady
was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby
was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy
assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All
went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years
old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled
to see not one, but two babies in the manger.
Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the
manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the
child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard
the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately-until he came to the part
where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.
Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said,
"And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I
had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any
place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't,
because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay
with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I
thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I
keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?"
And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever
gave me."
"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay
with him---for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down
his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his
shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who
would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him -- FOR ALWAYS.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life
that counts.
