As Christmas approaches, I want to share a story I received from Russia. It was written to one of the summer team members that went there by a friend who was able to stay and minister to orphans in the region we have worked in during recent years. This story tells why we strive to share the Gospel with more and more Russian young people.

     Here is the true story: It was nearing the holiday season and 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 3 small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small square piece of paper 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 then 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 six 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 his 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 asked me if I had a pace to stay.  I have no mamma and no papa, so I don’t have a 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 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 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 him nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him – “FOR ALWAYS.”

 

      Adapted from Goin’ Fishing Newsletter and first published in the 2000 Nov/Dec print Word and Work.