23 Oct 2026, 10:05Divinia ReynoldsLondon, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Being 'Whatever God Wants Us To Be': Miss Brenda Walsh’s Unforgettable Ministry at Hyland House School.
What if the very thing you were most afraid of was the exact thing God wanted you to do? That was the challenge hanging in the air during morning assembly at Hyland House Primary School on Monday, 22nd September. Each class entered the assembly hall to the lively sound of the piano being played. Instead of familiar adults, they were surprised to find a different, yet also rather familiar, face waiting for them while fluently tinkling the keys.
Brenda Walsh, or “Miss Brenda”, the well-known media personality, author, broadcaster, speaker, and presenter from the international Adventist community, was right there at the piano. She lit up the room with favourite children’s worship songs such as “I’m in the Lord’s Army”, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, and “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”, as well as real-life stories. The children were instantly hooked, singing along, their attention captured by her vivid storytelling.
It became a high-energy and deeply impactful experience for the children. By wrapping powerful lessons in laughter and music, she showed every student in the hall what it looks like to step out in faith and face their fears with Jesus.
In one story, Miss Brenda shared what it was like behind the scenes filming her well-watched 3ABN TV show, Kid’s Time. The presenter was struggling deeply with the producer's requirement that a dog be part of the show, which had a kennel in the background of the set. Miss Brenda had a big problem with this idea because she was very scared of dogs! Children were soon familiarised with her strict “no-biting, no-jumping, and no-licking” policy for dogs. But the strict rules were told with so much humour and warmth that the entire presentation turned into a fun, unforgettable experience for everyone in the room. Miss Brenda vividly demonstrated to the children how it just took one moment with a dog to spark an episode of screaming and running away. The situation seemed hopeless until, finally, she spoke of a dog she met at the shelter who, despite having previously lived wild, was exactly what she had been praying for. He took one look at Miss Brenda and seemed to completely understand her, effortlessly meeting all her expectations. Miss Brenda didn’t need to worry about Maxwell: he became known as “the sleepiest dog ever,” sleeping through almost every programme they did together for ten years. Maxwell was so incredibly calm that she jokingly shared how viewers accused her of drugging him! But Miss Brenda knew better, giving all the glory to God for such a perfect, peaceful, tailor-made answer to her prayers.
Throughout, Miss Brenda’s radiant smile and kindness were palpable to the children, who saw her as a friend. Once in the playground, Miss Brenda prayed for the school and the Holy Spirit drew the children back to her. They spontaneously stopped their games to gather around, so Miss Brenda used the moment to share one more lesson in faith. Shortly before she left to prepare for the next part of her tour in Ireland, her weighty words fed the children spiritually in a way they could carry in their hearts for years to come. “If anyone asks you what you are going to be when you grow up,” she said, “tell them, ‘Whatever God wants me to be.’” She then had them repeat it together.
As she turned her sights on Ireland, Miss Brenda left behind a powerful impression of profound devotion and service that touched children and staff alike, reminding everyone that on the journey ahead, as we surrender our fears to God, He is able to provide in ways beyond all that we can imagine.
What if the very thing you were most afraid of was the exact thing God wanted you to do? That was the challenge hanging in the air during morning assembly at Hyland House Primary School on Monday, 22nd September. Each class entered the assembly hall to the lively sound of the piano being played. Instead of familiar adults, they were surprised to find a different, yet also rather familiar, face waiting for them while fluently tinkling the keys.
Brenda Walsh, or “Miss Brenda”, the well-known media personality, author, broadcaster, speaker, and presenter from the international Adventist community, was right there at the piano. She lit up the room with favourite children’s worship songs such as “I’m in the Lord’s Army”, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, and “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”, as well as real-life stories. The children were instantly hooked, singing along, their attention captured by her vivid storytelling.
It became a high-energy and deeply impactful experience for the children. By wrapping powerful lessons in laughter and music, she showed every student in the hall what it looks like to step out in faith and face their fears with Jesus.
In one story, Miss Brenda shared what it was like behind the scenes filming her well-watched 3ABN TV show, Kid’s Time. The presenter was struggling deeply with the producer's requirement that a dog be part of the show, which had a kennel in the background of the set. Miss Brenda had a big problem with this idea because she was very scared of dogs! Children were soon familiarised with her strict “no-biting, no-jumping, and no-licking” policy for dogs. But the strict rules were told with so much humour and warmth that the entire presentation turned into a fun, unforgettable experience for everyone in the room. Miss Brenda vividly demonstrated to the children how it just took one moment with a dog to spark an episode of screaming and running away. The situation seemed hopeless until, finally, she spoke of a dog she met at the shelter who, despite having previously lived wild, was exactly what she had been praying for. He took one look at Miss Brenda and seemed to completely understand her, effortlessly meeting all her expectations. Miss Brenda didn’t need to worry about Maxwell: he became known as “the sleepiest dog ever,” sleeping through almost every programme they did together for ten years. Maxwell was so incredibly calm that she jokingly shared how viewers accused her of drugging him! But Miss Brenda knew better, giving all the glory to God for such a perfect, peaceful, tailor-made answer to her prayers.
Throughout, Miss Brenda’s radiant smile and kindness were palpable to the children, who saw her as a friend. Once in the playground, Miss Brenda prayed for the school and the Holy Spirit drew the children back to her. They spontaneously stopped their games to gather around, so Miss Brenda used the moment to share one more lesson in faith. Shortly before she left to prepare for the next part of her tour in Ireland, her weighty words fed the children spiritually in a way they could carry in their hearts for years to come. “If anyone asks you what you are going to be when you grow up,” she said, “tell them, ‘Whatever God wants me to be.’” She then had them repeat it together.
As she turned her sights on Ireland, Miss Brenda left behind a powerful impression of profound devotion and service that touched children and staff alike, reminding everyone that on the journey ahead, as we surrender our fears to God, He is able to provide in ways beyond all that we can imagine.
