About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. The two Americans 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.

在一九九四年，有两个美国人应邀到俄国授课，其中之一个要探访的地方是一所大的孤儿院。

孤儿院里面有一百多个男孩和女孩 ，都是被人抛弃、虐待而交给政府照顾，这两个美国人对以下的故事作出汇报：

因为适逢是圣诞节，这就成为孤儿们聆听圣诞故事一个最好的机会：

「当马利亚和约瑟到达伯利恒城，因为在旅店找不到房间，最后只有停留在马厩里，耶稣当晚亦在马槽中诞生...」

所有孩子和孤儿院员工都听得很入神。

故事讲完，我们随即派发给孩子们三小块硬卡纸，然后叫他们做一个马槽，之后每人更接到一片我们用黄纸巾剪成的方型纸，因为在城里简直买不到颜色纸。

之后再将一些布料小块放在马槽作为婴儿的毛毯，这些布料来自一件别人不要的睡袍。至于婴儿，我们则用厚垫布剪出来。

所有事情进行顺利，直到我来到米亚坐的桌子。他看来只有六岁，已经完成他要做的手工。

当我检查他的作品时，我留意到他的马槽里面有两个婴儿，而不是一个。通过我的传译员，我问他为甚麽他的马槽里面有两个婴儿。

这个男孩跷起他双手，很认真望著马槽，然后将马槽故事再讲出来。

对一个第一次听马槽故事的小孩来说，他对整个过程都讲得很清楚，除了马利亚将圣婴耶稣放在马槽那部份。

米亚开始加盐加醋，故事的结尾也就改变了...『当马利亚将婴儿放在马槽的时候，耶稣看著我，问我有没有住的地方。

耶稣对我说：「你可以跟我一起住。」我告诉他不行，因为别人有礼物给他，我却没有。

我就问他：「如果我给你取暖，这算不算是一份好礼物？」耶稣回答说：「如果你给我取暖，这会是一份最好的礼物。」

我於是爬进马槽，耶稣看著我，对我说我永远可以跟他在一起。』

当米亚讲完他的故事，他眼睛的泪水已经流满整个小脸。他忍不住将他的手盖上他的脸，趴在桌上凄凉地哭起来。

这个小孤儿已经找到一位永远不会抛弃或伤害他的人，一位愿意永远照顾他的人。

我现在知道一个人在世间上拥有甚麽都不重要，重要是你拥有谁。