Monterey Church of Christ sponsors an annual medical camp through Mahenzo with a combination of American and Kenyan providers working together to provide medical services. This year four Americans who have been coming consistently since 2011 and have established relationships with Kenyans involved in organizing and implementing the camps came to share their vacation time, their medical expertise, and their love once again. Malindi Sub County Hospital teamed with Mahenzo to organize four medical outreaches. Taking into consideration that many had been affected by the flooding of the Galana River a few weeks earlier, outreaches were held at two healthcare facilities in the area of the flooding and at the chief's camp of people who were still displaced.

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At each camp, children under five were provided immunizations, growth evaluations and nutrition check ups. In addition, HIV testing and counseling were provided. Family planning services and cervical cancer screenings were made available to women. Evaluations and medicine were also provided for the sick. Wounds fester here in the tropics, leading to serious problems so there was a special site at each camp for specialized wound care.

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The ending and the highlight of the medical camps this year was the opening of the Soso Bora Dispensary. Mahenzo worked with the Ministry of Health and the Soso Bora health committee to prepare the community and the facility for opening to make primary care accessible to the area. The dispensary and doctor's house had been built something like eleven years ago but remained without furniture, supplies, personnel and medicine. The health officials were able to provide the necessary basic equipment and the committee was able to work with local government officials to provide furniture and fresh paint. Mahenzo has sent a nurse to be a part of the community and provide the health services they need until the government is able to send someone.

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With a visit from Monterey Church of Christ's Senior Minister, an elder and their wives, different groups gathered to learn and share time in Bible study and discussions. Barry and Debbie Stephens and Gary and Lori House came to share love and wisdom as they, in turn, received love and wisdom from the various groups that came together for spiritual leadership trainings.

The first was a group of church leaders and preachers who met at Mahenzo Mission Educational Centre's (MMEC's) conference centre for two days of study and mutual encouragement. The focus of this meeting was on the kind of leadership that Jesus demonstrated and how it contrasts to the kind of leadership more commonly recognized in our world today. Preachers and others who serve in different ways in churches from throughout Malindi's region and beyond attended and shared ideas and experiences.

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Because of the number of young leaders associated with Uzima and Mahenzo's work, another day was set aside to meet specifically with this group. A few other interested individuals joined them. Most had also attended the meeting at MMEC.

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Over the last six years, a group of couples has been meeting each year to discuss godly marriages so this group came together again, hosted by the American visitors. This year's discussions focused on mutual love and respect and communication.

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A group of teachers from Monterey Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, have been coming alongside education efforts associated with Mahenzo for the last few years. They come to Kenya for a couple of weeks during their summer break to visit particular schools to encourage and collaborate with teachers. They share stories, challenges, ideas and resources. On two occasions they have sponsored Saturday workshops where best practices were demonstrated and discussed with teachers from a number of schools. In 2015, they were inspired to raise money to replace the last of the mud classrooms with permanent ones and to organize sponsorships for classrooms in order to help provide basic supplies and funds for teachers.

Their 2018 visit in June saw them stopping in Rwanda for an introduction to African Transformation Network, another work with which Monterey participates. After the conference and visits to various pieces of the work there, they came again to the coast of Kenya, reconnecting with various schools. At Mahenzo Mission Educational Centre, they spent time with some of the teachers, visited secondary classrooms to encourage students, and organized letter writing between some of the vulnerable students who attend Mahenzo and their education sponsors in the U.S. They also made visits to Msabaha Junior Academy and Uzima Mission School. Mahenzo is thankful for their willingness to share ideas, encouragement and personal participation with educators and students in Malindi and beyond.

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