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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Wavizi administrator Mike Karabu made a trip to Uganda to meet up with other East African Christian Relief Fund (CRF) administrators for their annual meeting. After this meeting, CRF's Vice-President of Global Operations Bobby Moore and board member Rick Chandler made a visit to Wavizi in Malindi.  CRF has sponsorship of over 300 students all around Malindi under the direction of Mike Karabu and his Wavizi team. Their time on the Kenyan coast was short, but they managed to check in on a few pieces of CRF's work through Wavizi.

One of their stops was to Mahenzo Mission Educational Centre (MMEC). Discussions were begun to direct their students from other schools to Mahenzo when they reach the secondary level. This will benefit Wavizi, CRF, and MMEC as well as the students they serve. Malindi's CRF/Wavizi students who have completed primary school and achieved an adequate score on the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination will be offered the opportunity to attend MMEC through their CRF sponsorships.

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Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, was the church that organized to send missionaries in 1985 to begin the work that has now become Uzima and the other Hamwenga ministries. Broadway remains involved with Uzima's work today. In September of 2018, they invited three representatives of Uzima to visit them in Lubbock. Titus Ziro, Duncan Ziro and Daniel Chengo were chosen by Uzima to represent them on this trip. Daniel had been to the U.S. on two previous occasions, but this was the first overseas travel for Duncan and Titus.

The three Kenyans found themselves warmly welcomed. They were hosted by Tim and Rebecca Talley, who had been sent to Malindi by Broadway in 1985 and spent 30 years in East Africa. While in Lubbock, the three met with the mission committee, various individuals, and the congregation as a whole to share details of the work of Uzima. They also made visits to Lubbock Christian University and to Monterey Church of Christ, across town, to meet with sponsors of Mahenzo Mission. Daniel also made a brief trip to Kentucky to visit with the Rolling Hills Church of Christ.

The travelers returned to Uzima to report on their trip. They were tired but encouraged by the love they received in Texas. They brought warm greetings from the their Texas friends and news that Broadway had offered to replace sewing machines and computers for the trade schools of Uzima Christian Training Centre. Many will benefit from these needed updates. Uzima is grateful and better prepared to train willing students in trades.

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Uzima Mission School has made some changes in recent days. The name of the school has been changed from Malindi Church of Christ Junior School as it is now on its way to being a full primary school when class eight is added next year. Along with this change come new school colors as indicated by the new uniforms shown in the photos. Optimism is in the air as the school includes the seventh grade for the first time. A few months ago, 2 permanent classrooms were added to the string of temporary classrooms they had been adding to each year. As a further benefit to Uzima Mission School, Uzima Christian Training Centre's computer trade school was recently supplied with new computers and will provide classes to students from the primary school, who are eagerly anticipating this opportunity.

In November, the 2018 school year closed with 221 students finishing up their classes and going home for the break. January saw a significant increase in the student body with 298 students enrolling for classes from day-care (3-year olds) through grade 7. The pre-primary 1 class through grade three are full and cannot accomodate more students for lack of space. These nearly 300 students are led by 17 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff.

Plans are in hand for permanent classrooms to replace the temporary ones in use today. They wait patiently for funding to become available. They seek to raise $80,000 for this building project. $8,000 has already been given by generous friends of the school. This school serves the community and its families in positive ways, directing the steps of children into opportunities for growth and learning in an environment of God's love.

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As an extension of Nairobi Great Commission School, Uzima offers Advanced and Basic Certificates in Bible and Mission. Advanced classes are for leaders who have completed secondary school and choose to do the training. The basic level is for leaders who were not able to finish their secondary education but later in life develop an interest in seriously pursuing Bible courses. These classes are normally held in Malindi at Uzima during the school holidays--April, August and December--in two-week intensive courses. In order to receive the certificate, the student must complete twenty lessons, including the core courses of Old and New Testament Surveys, the Life and Teachings of Christ, Hermeneutics, the book of Acts, and Homiletics.

Three area leaders, Harrison Gona Kigunda, Francis Bajila Baris and Eric Ruwa Hare, recently finished their course work. They travelled to Nairobi Great Commission School for their graduation ceremony in November 2018. In January, one of these men, Eric, together with another, Kheri Mramba Mweni, enrolled onsite at Nairobi Great Commission School for a broader and deeper two-year full-time diploma course in Bible and Mission. The knowledge received by all of these trainings allows men and women to better lead in area churches and the opportunity to share what they learn with Christians in their home areas.

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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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Christian Relief Fund's Vice-President Bobby Moore visited Mahenzo Mission Educational Centre (MMEC) this summer and suggested that it become a designated CRF school. In order to discuss that possibility and understand more of what that would involve, Jim and Phyllis Beck took a trip from Lubbock to Amarillo, Texas, in December to present Wavizi's and Mahenzo's questions. They met with Milton Jones, the President/CEO of CRF as well as Emily Bell, who is in charge of Child Placement for Kenya.

The main detail that Milton and Emily explained was concerning secondary students. CRF will offer any of Wavizi's students who successfully complete the KCPE (Kenya Ceritificate of Primary Education) Examination the opportunity to take CRF sponsorship to MMEC. Wavizi's students are spread out among various schools in the Malindi subcounty area. Combining more Wavizi secondary students at one location will allow them to work with these students more closely. This arrangement shows CRF's shared values with MMEC as well as confidence in their competence in education.

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Information for potential CRF sponsors who would like to sponsor a student at MMEC: 

Emily works with students all over Kenya. She coordinates sponsorships through local Kenyan directors. She has come up with a system on CRF's website, https://christianrelieffund.org/location/africa, to help a potential sponsor recognize students from Malindi and even, specifically, MMEC (Mahenzo Mission Educational Centre). Pictures and a few details for each child are available on this site.

Note these letters at the beginning of their CRF identification number ("K" represents Kenya.):

KMZ indicates a primary student who is at Mahenzo.

‍ KMZS indicates a secondary student at Mahenzo.

KMD currently indicates a child in Malindi in any other school.

All of the new students appearing with these letters in their identification number are to be under the administration of Wavizi in Malindi once a sponsor is in place.

Sponsoring students' education is said to be one of the most effective ways to contribute to their potential success in overcoming poverty. Its effects reach beyond the individuals to their families and into their communities in the present and into future generations.

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Wavizi has been driving a van all over the Malindi area checking on community projects or visiting schools, sponsored students and their guardians for several years now. The van had been many kilometres and always had some limits on reaching areas when the roads were in bad shape. In recent months it had become unreliable and in frequent need of repair. However, 2018 brought an opportunity to replace the van with a strong and dependable 4-wheel drive.

Now Mike Karabu can be seen driving around to Wavizi projects or schools and homes with the Wavizi team in a dependable Toyota Prado. Christian Relief Fund (CRF) and the Wavizi staff made this purchase possible. Students and schools are still spread over a large area but are now more accessible, thanks to this new addition to the Wavizi team.