Outreach Recap: How you changed lives in Dilla, Ethiopia

Delivering Jesus’ Love in Dilla, Ethiopia

We recently returned from providing a Medical Outreach to Dilla, Ethiopia, and wanted to give you a brief report. We’re so grateful for your support, and it’s because of you that the people of Dilla received the practical and spiritual care they did during the Outreach.

The Dilla community welcomed us with enthusiasm and displayed an eagerness for learning.

One boy especially touched our hearts. His name is Iosu, and a skin condition covered his face and body. Because of it, his parents had abandoned him. Except for a few street kids he knew, he was alone in the world.

Iosu was all too familiar with being teased and bullied for his obvious difference, but his friends cared enough about him to bring him to our Dilla Medical Outreach.

The treatment he needed would take more time and attention than was possible during regular Clinic hours. So two of our medical professionals, one a dermatologist, stayed late to care for him while the bustling Clinic wound down for the day. They gave Iosu a new set of clothes and cared for him every day for the remainder of the Clinic week. They also encouraged him to attend the Zehra Kids Program.

At Zehra Kids, Iosu stayed on the fringes at first, watching during playtime. Eventually, he joined in the games, and the burdened expression on his face gave way to smiles. He’d found a respite in that atmosphere of Yeshua’s love.

Each day, Isou hung around inside the Clinic, waiting for his treatment time. He could have come later in the day, but he came early and spent hours in our company. The Clinic became a haven from a life of fending for himself and daily rejection and ridicule.

Iosu’s story is on its way to a happy ending as we were able to secure housing and treatment for his skin condition in Addis Ababa. Thank you for making such a difference in Iosu’s life and the lives of so many others in Dilla, Ethiopia.

Dilla, Ethiopia, Medical Outreach