A Friend sent me this and thought you all might enjoy reading it.


>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.
>
>
>