Prayer Makes Exams Extra Easy in Solomon Islands

Father wasn’t sure that prayers would help, but he agreed to his daughter’s request.

By Andrew McChesney

Fourteen-year-old Mitlyn Todonga felt nervous because she had to take three big exams that would decide where she would study for the seventh grade.

If she got low or average marks on the exams, she would have to stay in her village in the Solomon Islands and attend public school. But if she got high marks, she could study at one of the South Pacific country’s 10 national schools. One of those 10 schools was Betikama Adventist College in the nation’s capital, Honiara.

No one in Mitlyn’s home was Adventist. But she had attended the local Townend Primary Adventist School since first grade, and she had gone to church many times with a school friend, Janet. Now she wanted more than anything in the world to study at Betikama Adventist College, located three hours by boat from her village.

Mitlyn decided to pray, and she asked her parents to join her.

Father wasn’t sure that prayers would help. Mitlyn had to earn the absolutely highest marks to go to the Adventist school. Many other sixth graders across the country also wanted to enter the school. To many, qualifying for the school was like winning a million dollars.

For Father, the school also was expensive. He didn’t have much money, and Mitlyn would have to live in a dormitory.

But Father decided to pray anyway.

“Dear God, please help Mitlyn pass the exams so she can attend seventh grade at the Adventist school,” he said.

The day of the first exam arrived. The subject was English. Mitlyn prayed and prepared to take the exam. As she started, she was amazed. She found that the exam very easy!

Then Mitlyn had to take the second exam. The topic was mathematics. Mitlyn prayed and, to her surprise, found that the exam was very easy!

At home that evening, her parents asked her about the first two exams.

“They were rather easy,” Mitlyn said, happily.

“God has answered your prayers,” Mother said.

The next day, Mitlyn had to take the last exam. It was the most difficult and comprised three subjects: science, health, and social studies. Mitlyn prayed, and the exam was very easy!

That evening, Mother asked, “Did you finish your exam?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Did you find it very easy?” Father asked.

“Yes!” Mitlyn exclaimed.

Father, Mother, and daughter bowed their heads and thanked God.

“Do you think that you will pass with high marks?” Mother asked.

“Yes!” Mitlyn said with a big smile.

While waiting for the exam results, Mitlyn went some distance away for a vacation. While there, Father called her on the phone.

“The exam results are out,” he said.

“What kind of score did I get?” Mitlyn asked.

“You passed to get into Betikama Adventist College!” Father said.

Mitlyn was overjoyed to hear the news! Father suggested that Mitlyn cut her vacation short to prepare to move to her new school.

That evening, Mitlyn returned home and joined her family in thanking God for His goodness. Father especially thanked God for hearing their prayers, and he promised to work extra hard to pay for the school tuition.

“God has a plan for you,” Father told Mitlyn. “He passed you so you could do something that I thought was impossible — go to the Adventist school.”

Mitlyn is now 15 years old and studying in the seventh grade. She has been taking Bible studies and plans to be baptized soon.

In two years, when she finishes ninth grade, she will have to take another set of big exams. If she gets high marks, she can stay at the Adventist school. If she gets low or average marks, she will have to return to her home village, Mbalelea, in Malaita Province to attend public school for 10th grade.

But Mitlyn isn’t worried.

“I’m not worried about the exams because I know God will help me,” she said.