With learners back at school and examinations fast approaching, the Methodist Church took it upon itself to conduct a prayer service for schoolchildren. The prayer was for protection, as well as to help reduce stress and nervousness during the exam period.

The service was opened by Mrs Shange, who read from Luke 17. This scripture talks about the 10 men who were healed, but only one returned to Jesus to give thanks. Shange said, “Many of us pray and ask certain things from God, but only a few people return to God to give thanks.” She continued to say, “We see the value of God whenever we need help, but once God answers our prayers, we focus on the blessings and forget to give thanks.”

Dr TP Nkosi then introduced guest speaker Owami Mdlalose. In his keynote address, Mdlalose congratulated all the learners for being at school for three past terms and reminded them that Term 4 means the year is nearly finished. He cited the isiZulu proverb ‘selidumela emasumpeni’, which literally comes from the sound of a milking bucket when it is nearly full of milk and figuratively means ‘the end is in sight and the task is almost complete’. He said that although the journey has been long and full of obstacles, God is still with them through thick and thin. He congratulated the Grade 12s for not dropping out of school, saying they were even able to make it through the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused huge learning and teaching gaps. In encouraging the children to form study groups, he used the metaphor in Proverbs 27:17, which says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” He also outlined the benefits of study groups in improving academic performance. Lastly, he motivated parents to give their children unwavering support in their schoolwork, using the analogy of a fire that is used to cook food. He said that when fire is used for cooking, it always needs attention. When the fire dims, it needs someone to push the logs into the blaze until the food is ready for consumption.

All the children were requested to come forward for prayer, and were given pens and pencils to use at school. The high school learners were given a Bible verse to read every time they sit down to study, and were also given examination packs to use in their study time.

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