This is Ato (Mr.) Anjulo’s story about how the Mossy Foot Project has helped transform his life.

"I was a pastor in a church when I developed mossy foot disease. As my feet swelled and large, bumpy growths appeared on my toes, I began to experience discrimination from the church elders. They no longer wanted to eat with me or wash their feet in the bucket in which I washed my feet. I was insulted and humiliated by my friends and family. People who knew me did not want to walk on the road where I walked. When I realized that I was being cast out, I began to consider a decision that I never thought I would make. I wanted to stop serving God.

Before I developed mossy foot disease, I was a well-known farmer. All the time I farmed I never wore shoes. None of my parents, brothers, or sisters before me had mossy foot disease. It all started with me. I didn’t know what caused it. My feet were so big that they wouldn’t fit into the largest shoes sold in town.

For eight long years I went to many places people suggested seeking treatment from clinics and cultural doctors. None of the places were able to help me.

One of my daughters got married. Her husband asked if anyone in her family was a mossy foot patient. Fearing that he would send her away, she told him that no one in her family had mossy foot. After her husband’s question, my daughter came to my home and took me to a new mossy foot clinic that had just opened in Bale town.

At the clinic things happened that made me smile. They gave me soap, bleach, and Whitefield ointment. As I faithfully followed instructions, came regularly to the clinic, and wore shoes, the size of my feet slowly improved. Soon I was able to wear size 46 shoes. Month after month the bad smell and growths on my feet got less and less. Two years after I started attending the Mossy Foot Project Clinic, I was able to fit into a size 41 shoe, then size 40 and, finally, I was able to wear normal shoes sold in the market.

I was highly motivated to start a business but did not have the funds to do so, so I asked a neighbor to loan me the money. He leant me money, but at a high rate of interest. When I did not earn enough to pay him, he took my only milk cow, which I had raised for hard times.

When I heard that the Mossy Foot Project gave interest free self-help loans to their patients, I decided to ask a clinic worker. After hearing my story, and because I volunteered for Mossy Foot, they decided to lend me 1000 birr (about $58.00) without interest. They told me to return 10% of the loan every month. This made it possible for me to buy food and clothes for myself and my children. Now in place of the milk cow taken by the other man, I have a milk cow and many sheep and goats.

Other people are surprised by how my life has changed and ask me what my secret is. I tell them that it was God and the Mossy Foot Project. When I encounter people with mossy foot disease, I take them to the Mossy Foot Clinic. I am a changed man both physically and spiritually. My neighbors respect me and I am again serving at my church as a respected pastor.”

Trip Reports Bring God Glory

Individuals and teams recently visiting Soddo have now returned home with precious memories and lasting fruit from love poured out in service to the people of Ethiopia.

Krissy Ricco, Sharon Daly's friend and former student, returned on Oct. 22. She shared one of her most powerful impressions came from seeing the transformative power of the micro-loan program in the lives of the women who had been helped.  She got to hear stories from twelve women who formed a co-op  using the loans for a variety of businesses from selling butter to making bread to harvesting poultry. On their own, these women decided to give a portion of their earnings each month to help the most needy in their village.  This was truly discipleship in action!

The Yates family (left) and Simpsons (right) visiting Mossy
Foot Clinic with Sharon Daly

During the time Sharon was in Ethiopia, she was able to welcome two young families from her home church, Reality Ventura, that came on an exploratory visit focused on possible future ministry partnerships. This team includes Kavi Simpson and Michelle Yates, two moms who are Family Medicine Doctors; Kavi's husband Taylor, an architect who has designed hospitals; and Michelle's husband Adam, an electrical engineer, along with a growing set of children. You can read more about their trip experience and their vision for ministry on their blog.

Sharon also hosted a team of six from New Life Anglican church in Petosky, Michigan led by their pastor Michael Bridge. This small but mighty team brought important supplies and found many ways to use their skills to bless others, from distributing clothing and shoes to the children of Mossy Foot patients, to helping to treat the sick (the team included a doctor and nurse), to helping to build two new homes for needy widows. Pastor Bridge even served as the guest preacher on Sunday at a local congregation. This brief video demonstrates the great joy released by the simple act of kindness initiated through providing a new home for a widow.

The Lord is doing great things in Ethiopia, and the Mossy Foot project is thankful for the way the Lord is placing a His love for Ethiopia in the hearts of many. We have been blessed to partner with these teams over the past month and look forward to the fruit of their efforts.

News from Sharon and Krissy in Ethiopia

Sharon Daly, President of the Mossy Foot Project, and her friend Krissy Rico are currently in Ethiopia encouraging staff, visiting clinics, and checking on the welfare of widows and patients.

Sharon and Krissy visited this widow, raising her grandson,

 in her new home built by Mossy Foot and her church

They are traveling to remote locations, and on a recent trip they experience two tire blow outs, one going out and one coming back to Soddo.

During their first week, they were able to participate in the showing of the Jesus film on top of a mountain where human sacrifice had been practiced in the past. What a triumph for the Lord! They report that the film was well received since it was in the local language and that pastors in the community will be following up with those who expressed interest in learning more.

Sharon and Krissy standing on property donated by
the Ethiopian government for Mossy Foot Project 

God has brought about a sweet partnership between these two friends who already had a special relationship: Krissy was a student in the first elementary school class that Sharon taught at the beginning of her teaching career. When Krissy heard about Sharon’s planned trip, she felt moved to volunteer to join her for three of the five weeks Sharon will be in Ethiopia.

After a long day of ministry, Krissy shared the thoughts below based on her experience, thoughts that should speak to all of us about the contrast between first world and third-world problem. After you read this, please take a moment and pray for:

• Krissy and Sharon to be filled with wisdom and grace as they visit and encourage patients and staff 
• The staff of Mossy Foot Project to be strong and persevere, to be filled with God’s love, and to be able to communicate the gospel along with the practices for physical healing 
• Patients to find hope and healing, for them to be reintegrated into their families and communities, and for them to find ways to work to supply their own needs 

Thoughts from Krissy on Perspective 

I was going to complain about the bed; I thought they forgot the mattress and gave me only the box springs…until I saw the bed used by a widow that looked like a wooden box with dead corn husks inside. When I asked about what looked like a piece of cloth, they told me it was outside to get the fleas off and that it was the widow’s blanket.

I was going to complain about the red clay all over my shoes…until I asked a man with Mossy Foot at the clinic where his shoes were. He told me he lost them two months ago and that he was too sick to come to the clinic until today when he came to purchase new ones.

I was going to complain about my hands…until I saw a lady who had leprosy and had no more fingers. She was also a Mossy Foot patient and desperately needed some medicine.

I was going to complain about how badly I need a pedicure…until I realized that many people have no nails on their hands and feet because of lack of protein in their diet.

I was going to complain about seeing the same food on the menu every day…until the shop owner told me not to buy cookies for the street kids because eating them would make them sick. He suggested bread and water instead.

God is teaching me about perspective here…how I should give thanks everyday and be grateful for all things big or small.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17

The House the Village Built

Wayzay was delighted with her new, weather-proof house built by the Mossy Foot Project in cooperation with workers from the church community.  A big smile illuminated her face as she posed inside her home with Pastor Zewdie the Mossy Foot Project Pastor.  As a house warming present, Wayzay was given artificial flowers, a rooster and two hens.  Also, her neighbors plowed the field behind her house and planted it with false banana plants.

"It Takes a Village"

Wayzay is an impoverished, elderly widow whose granddaughter lived with her in a hut that was about to fall down and did not protect them from the rain.  The Mossy Foot Project, with a Community of help from the local church decided to join efforts in building a new house for Wayzay.

In a few days we will see the results of their labor.

Meet Indrias!

Sharon Daly, President of the Mossy Foot Project, reports from Ethiopia, "We met Indrias several days ago at one of our clinic sites.  He said that it takes him 2 hours to walk to clinic due to his sick feet, so yesterday we decided to go to his home.  We drove off the main road about 20 minutes, then the road became impassible.  Our guide said that it was only a 20 minute walk.  About an hour later, after walking up and down hills, and on paths through plowed fields, we arrived.  My own feet are blistered and sore from the shoes I was wearing.  It makes me appreciate the effort Indrias, and so many of our patients, make to get to a clinic.  It gave me more incentive to dream about opening new clinics to better serve the need of so many patients like Indrias."

Thanks for the Shoes!

Our President, Sharon Daly, is presently in Ethiopia hosting visitors as well as strengthening leadership and exercising oversight over our work at the Mossy Foot Project.  Each visit also brings the opportunity to share new blessings.

The children at eight of the Mossy Foot clinic sites and their parents were delighted to receive their new shoes, thanks to the First Baptist Church of Downey.  The kids were doubly pleased because the colorful tennis shoes came in really cute boxes.  For children that have almost nothing, a box brings a lot of smiles.  Also, the children received colorful socks and homemade greeting cards from a fifth grade sunday school class at the Calvary Chapel of Anaheim.  Visit our website and learn more about our work to eradicate podoconiosis while spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.