Wanja, Emildah

Emildah Wanja is an international Global Mission Fellow with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, engaged in a two-year term of service.

The Global Mission Fellows program takes young adults ages 20-30 out of their home environments and places them in new contexts for mission experience and service. The program has a strong emphasis on faith and justice. Global Mission Fellows become active parts of their new local communities. They connect the church in mission across cultural and geographical boundaries. They grow in personal and social holiness and become strong young leaders working to build just communities in a peaceful world. 

A lay member of Kunene United Methodist Church, Meru, related to the Kenya-Ethiopia Annual Conference, Emildah is a teacher, events planner and mentor in the teen and youth ministries. She also serves on the the praise and worship team and in the media department.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and agriculture education, as well as intermediate certification in computer science.

Although Emildah attended church regularly as a child, she became serious about her faith and gave her life to Jesus at age 12.

“The beginning of this new life in Jesus,” she recalled, “brought a divine joy and peace inside of me. Maturity started showing in all areas.” She devoted personal time to spiritual growth, praying, fasting, reading the Bible and spending holidays in youth camps.Then she became involved in youth leadership as a prayer coordinator and a praise and worship leader.

“I surrounded myself with mentors who intentionally helped me with my spiritual growth,” Emildah said. “I have the desire to share Jesus with the world. I feel called to mission work. When Paul in the Bible talks about different gifts, I understand I have the gift of service as in Romans 12.”

She shared her motivation for becoming a Global Mission Fellow.

“As a fellow, I would serve in a whole new society while practicing my core desire to see that justice is always reached and served,” Emildah said. “It has always filled my heart every time I have been in service and blessed my life any time I have been part of bringing justice however minute it could be.”

She looks forward to growing in her faith and in her Christian walk.

“I have been part of YW4A, and I have been taught and served under the training through leadership development, education, health, social and economic empowerment, peacebuilding, climate change and environmental degradation, advocacy for women’s and girls’ rights, physical safe spaces and social protection.” According to its website, the YW4A Initiative’s strategic objective is to defend and expand the fulfillment of young women’s rights to dignity, bodily integrity and equal participation in decision-making, through the implementation of gender-just policies and laws in Egypt, Kenya, Palestine and South Sudan.

Emildah sees Global Mission Fellows as an opportunity to delve deeper into critical issues.

“As a fellow,” she said, “I understand that I will need to engage with the local community so that I will be serving and doing ministry not alone but with the community in which I am placed.”

She is confident that her experience in event management and production will contribute to her Global Mission Fellows ministry.

“It will introduce me to a more structured way of service, building into my skillset,” Emildah noted. “It will expose me to new communities with different ways of life, challenges and new approaches to solutions. It will equip me to face greater obstacles in life. It will grow my skills, both personal and societal, and that will help my future service in both church and society. It will help me with the knowhow in my managerial career to upscale. I have a desire to mentor more, and with the experience as a fellow, I will be well braced for a greater, wider mentorship. With the engagement with other fellows, I will be more equipped for teamwork in the future.”

Her dream is to use her skills, interests and education to strengthen the church, the community and herself.