Public Schools

After having Ally is private school for 3 years Ivan and I had to make the hardest decision we've been faced with.......to put our innocent, sheltered, little girl into public school. For those of you who don't know I NEVER attented public school. I was blessed with the opportunity to attend private school my entire school life. So it was only natural for me to put my daughter into the same school I attended my whole life. I was so comfortable with her there, I felt like she was safe and secure and more than anything she was being taught the Word of God everyday! It was such a sacrafice for us to send her there. Well, because of financial reasons we were unable to keep her in private school. Ivan and I started to pray about our options. I thought that the most reasonable option would be that I would homeschool her. All of my friends are homeschooling their kids and it would be fun to do it with them. I prayed about it and got a crystal clear "NO" from the Lord. I thought oh my goodness, God, you couldn't possibly want my child to go to EVIL PUBLIC SCHOOL. I would break out in tears everytime the thought even crossed my mind. In those times the Lord would speak to me that He loves my little girl more than I ever could and He can take care of her better than I ever could, why don't I trust Him? So I knew that she was public school bound. I was so fearful because all I have heard is how God has been taken out of public school and how she is going to be taught homosexuality and that her teachers are not going to care about her. I was just so afraid for her. She started at her new school November 3rd and she was so scared. I walked her across the playground to where they have to line up to go to class and on our way across the playground this group of girls came running and yelling "Allyson" I looked at Ally and I asked her if she knew them from church or something and she said "No mommy" Her teacher turned to me and said they are really excited for her to be here they have been waiting anxiously for her to come. My eyes started to well up with tears and you all know I DON'T cry in public. So I said "c'mon Lauren get it together" and stood there with Ally as these girls grabbed her hand and introduced themselves. They were so happy to see her and I knew that God was showing me it was going to be okay. As my friend Melinda says "it was a God wink." I walked back to my car knowing that she was safe in God's hands. Her second week at school she told me that she wanted to take her Bible to school for share. I thought "uh oh" this could be bad, very bad. I thought of her being publicly ostricised for bringing a Bible for share. But before I could say anything Ivan very quickly replied "that would be awesome." He is so much braver than me. So she took her Bible and on our way to school she says "Mom, I'm gonna tell them my memory verse from my old school." I encouraged her that it would be great, but inside I was so nervous for her. How would the kids react? Would she get shut down by her teacher? Would they make fun of her? I picked her up from school that afternoon and I asked her immediately "how did it go, with sharing your Bible?" She was so excited! She said "Mommy it was really cool, I said my memory verse John 3:16-17 and the kids raised their hands to ask the teacher if I could read more from my Bible." So now we will memorize a verse every week so that she can go to class and recite it for her classmates who are so eager to hear the Word of God. The Lord has shown me that He has a plan for my little girl in public school and that I had to trust Him to let go and let Him take care of her. I hope this encourages some of you who might be struggling with the same decision.

On the subject of Christianity in public schools, we are very blessed to live in a city that is very conservative and has no problem with God being in our public schools. Ivan has been meeting with the San Jacinto Unified School District for a few months and he has been granted permission to go onto the High School and Middle School campuses to hang out with the kids. He is not allowed to approach the kids and share the Lord with them but if they initiate the conversation he can talk with them and even pray with them. Ivan has also been meeting with a Lawyer that specializes in the rights of teachers in the public school system and they are working on putting together a seminar for teachers so that they can be fully informed of their legal rights to teach the Bible in public schools. Please pray for Ivan as he is trying so hard to keep God in public schools and to reach a lost and hopeless generation of kids.