Ryan Halvarson

I would like to encourage the parents with children who are going back to school who struggle with learning. I would also like to encourage the students themselves who struggle with learning. Do not give up, keep trying, keep praying. Here is my testimony about what God did for me in school.

I grew up going to church and wanting to serve the Lord. I was in Special Education my first 10 1/2 years in school. I had trouble comprehending what I was reading, and I also struggled with writing. This continued through 10th grade. In 9th grade, they wanted to take me out of school and put me in the workplace for a couple of school hours, but my mother would not allow it. I had a teacher say I will never be able to get a job, and since I would need help finding a job, I should be in the workplace.

To understand the Bible, I had to read a picture Bible. Pictures helped me with understanding the Bible and with what was being said. In my 10th grade year, I went back to school with all my classes being modified with Special Ed. One day, when I got home from school, my mother asked me why I was failing Biology. I told her that I was trying, but I just did not understand. After that, there was a wind that passed by me.

I remember praying to the Lord many times to help me with school, crying out to Him because it was a struggle. The next day, I went back thinking it was going to be the same, but I was wrong. The Lord touched my life; the wind that passed by me the day before was the Holy Spirit healing me. The Lord took my failing grades the first quarter from F’s to B’s.

The rest of my 10th grade year was the same. I was getting A’s and B’s on my report card instead of C’s, D’s or Fs. God gave me some wonderful special Ed teachers my 10th grade year! Mrs. Jenson and Mrs. Flynn will always hold a special place in my heart. In history class, when we had to write essay’s to questions, God would download all these things to write for me. Ideas just kept flowing and would not stop.

I was able the read the Bible and understand what I was reading for the first time. My first regular books that I picked up and read was This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti. During my 11th grade year, the only class that I was in for special Ed was English.

Mrs Jenson was my English teacher. That year, instead of a study hall, I did teachers aid work for Mrs Jenson. I also did teacher’s aide work my senior year and loved it. After the first semester, she approached me about going into a regular English class, because I was to advanced for Special Ed. I said okay. They put me on a grading curve in case I needed it, but I did not. I held a B in English all on my own.

The Lord helped me in all my classes. My 12th Grade year I had no Special Ed classes, and was able to hold my own in all my classes because of God. I Graduated just a little under making the B honor roll. I totally give Jesus 100% of the Glory; this all happened because of Him. I take no credit for any of it.

I do not know why God chose to heal me, but I will say, keep pressing into God and never give up no matter how hard it is. If it takes reading a picture Bible to understand the Bible, so be it. Keep praying. Don’t stop - keep on believing.

God did this for me and He can also do it for you. You never know from day to day what God will do if you put your faith in Him. Expect God to do something marvelous in your life this year. He’s never late and never early, He always comes at the right time.

Jesus gave me compassion for children who struggle in school. If my testimony touches just one child’s or parents life, to God be the Glory! Put your Faith in the Lord Jesus He can do above and beyond all you can imagine.

Have a blessed and wonderful school year students and teachers. May God touch all your lives. I pray that my testimony boosts your faith.