“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.” Matt. 24:40
We are so grateful for what God has accomplished through the Mossy Foot ministry in 2022 to treat and restore our patients’ lives. This would not have happened without your partnership, prayers, and contributions.
Over the 2022 year, the Mossy Foot Project has accomplished the following:
- Completed building 9 houses for widows
- Treated 6,720 patients who recovered and graduated
- Provided self-help loans to 348 patients
- Trained 64 young, recovered mossy foot patients in vocational skills
- Provided school supplies for 224 children in mossy foot families
- Distributed livestock to the most impoverished of our mossy foot patients—36 goats, 10 cows, and 1,708 chickens
- Produced and distributed 392 oversized leather shoes for our patients
Distributed 6,350 children’s shoes
Now we are running low on children’s shoes and have an urgent need for 20,000 pairs of shoes for children. If any of you know of a shoe company that would be willing to donate these to Mossy Foot, please let us know.
This little girl is receiving a new pair of shoes, to protect her feat from the irritations that can cause mossy foot disease.
The gift of goats provides sustainable income and food for families affected by mossy foot disease.
In the next few newsletters, I will be introducing you to some of our staff members.
Zebdewos Getahun is our Executive Director in Ethiopia. He grew up in southern Ethiopia, where his parents were evangelists, so he speaks several of those tribal languages. When Zebdewos was a high-school science teacher, he identified disabled students and went to the principal, asking for permission to mobilize the other teachers to give a portion of their salaries to help these students.
When Zebdewos became a junior-high principal, he wrote a grant to US Aide and established a bread and tea program for the poorest students who came to school without food.
Later, when Zebdewos became a school superintendent, his schools scored the highest of any schools in southern Ethiopia. He received awards from the government for this achievement.
I first met Zebdewos through my father, Dr. Nathan Barlow, the founder of Mossy Foot. At that time, Zebdewos was tutoring students that my dad was helping, and he had a close relationship with my father. He called my father “Dad” and my father told Zebdewos that some day he would work for Mossy Foot.
My husband and I were hesitant to ask Zebdewos to work for Mossy Foot because his salary would be lower. However, Zebdewos agreed because of his heart to help the afflicted and make a difference in their lives.
We look forward to what God is going to do in 2023 and value your prayers and contributions as you partner with the Mossy Foot Project.
Wishing you many blessings,
Mossy Foot Project President