Emmaus Hill School near Moi’s Bridge / The Sagalas

Friday morning we made our first visit to Emmaus Hill School (commonly referred to in our circles as Moi’s Bridge School, since that is the name of the city near by). Emmaus School is one of two Kinship sponsored schools in Kenya (St. David’s in Etago which we visited earlier is the other). As a member of the Kinship committee the visits to these schools are a main reason for me being here on this mission trip. Like I said in my blog post about St. David’s School, after years of hearing reports about the amazing things the Lord has done for them and through them, my excitement for finally getting to meet these children and see this school was through the roof. 

The fact that this school exists is truly a miracle only the gracious Lord of all creation could accomplish (More on that later in this post). Emmaus school has 190 students enrolled from baby class, pre-primary  1 & 2 (referred to as PP1 & PP2), to standard 1-8 (what we would call grades 1-8), and 14 teachers. (I realize I forgot to include the numbers for St. David’s School in my post from our visit there: St. David’s currently has 170 students and 10 teachers). 

The students were so excited to see us when we showed up for our morning visit (almost as excited as I was to see their smiling faces)! The various grade levels had prepared a number of different presentations for us from poems, to Bible passage recitations, to songs, dancing, and even a reenactment of the birth of Jesus. I could tell you more about it, but I’ll just have you enjoy these pictures and videos of some of their presentations instead 🙂

The students and staff of Emmaus School

The Holy Cross Church sanctuary (which also doubles as a pre-primary classroom) and the pre-primary teachers.

Pastor Gurath quizzing the PP 1 & 2 students with the English words on the chalkboard. Here is where I learned the Swahili word for cat = “paka.

This lovely lady (one of the cooks, I think) told me that she makes these decorations for the poorer children to sell to help them buy food. The bag next to her is full of these decorations she has made.

One of the teachers with her students. They didn’t mind the interruption of us saying hi and taking pictures.

These little ones had been high-fiving me non-stop…until I took a selfie with them and then they left me hanging 😆

Another classroom & the teacher.

The grade 8 students wanted a picture with us and Mary Sagala.

The teachers.

Grade 5 reciting their Bible passage, Philippians 4:4.

“Standard 7” (Grade 7) students and their song.

The children were fascinated with touching my light-colored skin…but most fascinated by my arm hair! 

The school campus has undergone a number of recent improvements that have truly been life-changing for the students, staff, and even the community. A new perimeter security fence has been put up and the road, which used to literally go right through the school campus and the area where the children played at break time, was diverted around the security fence. A new gate and entrance buildings, which will house the new offices for the head teacher and deputy head teacher were also constructed.

By far the most important and life-changing improvement to the campus (and community at large) was the completion of a decade-plus long well project, which was completed in late 2021. The well was made possible by generous private donations from various people in the U.S.A. A group that specializes in drilling wells in African countries was contracted and appears to have done great work drilling and constructing the well and 10,000 liter holding tank. Previously water had to be hauled up the hill from the closest town (Milimani) several kilometers away. There are now water spouts on the outside of the buildings where freshwater is readily available. In the early mornings and in the evenings the community is also allowed to come in and get fresh water, since this is the only well on the top of this rocky hill. Take a few moments to imagine, if you will,  what a life-changing blessing this well would be if you lived here, taught here, or were a student or congregation member here. It’s hard to overstate the impact of this incredible blessing. 

The well pump and 10,000 liter storage tank.

One of the newer buildings (classrooms and current head teachers’ offices). New solar panels on the roof.

Mary Sagala proudly holding up the school’s approval certificate from the Kenyan government. 

One of the older classroom buildings. Mud and wood construction with tin roof. 

New gate w/ dual new head teachers’ offices.

New fence around the school campus.

Video panning the campus while the students are at play during break time. 

Video of one of the working water spouts along with some heartwarming greetings from some new friends. 

Friday afternoon was spent having lunch with Anna and Mary Sagala at the Sagala homestead & farm where Anna, the 83 year-old matriarch of the family lives. Anna is the woman God used to start this whole miraculous story of Emmaus School and Holy Cross, Moi’s Bridge congregation. Back in 2009 Anna was visiting family for a few months in Phoenix, AZ. Since she had a Lutheran background and greatly appreciated Lutheran Biblical teaching and worship services she insisted  on her family taking her to a Lutheran church while she was in the States. The family had often driven past Holy Cross Lutheran Church when they would drive down Thunderbird Rd. so they decided to go there for church. Anna said that she was nervous walking into church for the first time that the people there would not accept her. Needless to say, the congregation very warmly accepted her (after all, who couldn’t love this warm, generous, and joyful woman and her family!?). The rest is an amazing history of God’s providing and guiding hand at work in ways that are beyond what we could have asked or imagined. While Anna spent those months in Phoenix she spoke with Pastor Del Maas and the young associate pastor at that time, Mike Gurath, about the fact that there was no Lutheran church or school near her home in Kenya. She dreamed of building a church and school on some family land in the area. The Holy Cross congregation began sponsoring this church and school mission project (now under the care of the CLC Mission Board and Kinship Committee, with continued generous support from Holy Cross). In 2010 Pastor Gurath was sent to live and do mission work in the area for two separate 6-month stints. The first mud and wood construction school buildings and initial church building (now converted to a cement structure) were built. 13 years later—after all the improvements and building projects, and most importantly, hundreds of students have gone through Emmaus School and been educated and taught about their Savior Jesus—here we stood in the middle of this very rural hilltop school and church surrounded by smiling and waving students and teachers. It’s nothing short of miraculous! It’s overwhelmingly joyful and humbling to even be a small part of supporting this work and to be here in person to encourage their efforts. 

Mary Sagala, Anna’s daughter, the administrator and “mother hen” of the school is a smiling, vibrant force of nature who works tirelessly to help run the school and continue the various continuing improvement projects. Her heart for the students, teachers, and the school and church itself is evident in everything she says and does.  

Anna Sagala (standing)
Mary Sagala (seated w/ us)

Anna’s home.

Anna, myself, Pastor G. and Mary in front of the new home her son, John, is building on the homestead.

Goats and chickens are just a few of a number of animals on the Sagala farm. Wild monkeys are also back in the woods on their property (they are seen as a nuisance since they steal fruit from the farm). When Anna said that some monkeys were following her around in the trees that day I said, “Oh, you have monkeys here?!” She said disgustedly, “They’re not my monkeys!” (I rephrased it and said that what I meant was that “there are monkeys here.” But then I continued to joke with Anna throughout the afternoon that she owned monkeys on her farm 😁 She has a great sense of humor so she got a kick out of it.)

Saturday we hit the road again to cross the Kenyan boarded into the country of Uganda where we will be visiting our brother pastors, Daniel, Absalom, and Tannis and join Daniel’s congregation for worship on Sunday. Praise God that we arrived safely at our hotel in Iganga, Uganda on Saturday evening, without too much trouble crossing the border. 

Busia, Uganda…just across the border from Busia, Kenya.

Ugandan rice fields.

Your continued prayers for our safe travel, good health, and prosperous work in spreading and encouraging the people of this region with the Word of God are appreciated more than these typed words can express properly. The Sagala family wanted us to also express their love, appreciation, and prayers for all of you back in the U.S.A.