December 2010 Newsletter: Christmas JOY in a Buddhist Country

Sam remembers always having Christmas. When Sam’s mother died and his father disappeared, a neighbor, Mr. Theoun, rescued Sam and brought him to Asian Hope. Having been raised from toddlerhood at Asian Hope children’s home, his earliest memories are of celebrating Christmas with his Asian Hope family. “Christmas was all about getting presents and having a fun time, it was all about me,” says Sam, now 13 years old. “If I didn’t get presents that satisfied me, I would just whine about it all day.”

Sam’s perspective on Christmas changed last year when he had the opportunity to spend some of
his Christmas vacation in the province with Mr. Theoun’s family.