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 Other Sheep eNews May 13, 2008
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 Costa Rica - where the exotic can happen! April 19 - May 5, I made a part business* and part vacation* trip to Costa Rica. Jose was with me for the first week. During the second week, I focused on Other Sheep work. As Executive Director of Other Sheep, my trip included visits with
Enjoy this exciting pictorial report. Steve Parelli, Executive Director sparelli2002@yahoo.com Visit Other Sheep website
*Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz personally financed this trip themselves. No Other Sheep funds or donations of any kind were used for either the business or vacation part of this trip. Go to The Evolution of Our Costa Rica Trip | |
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| Meet Bernal Esquivel of San Jose, Costa Rica |
An LGBT activist with a pastor's heart.
Click here for a full PICTORIAL REPORT |
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Since its inception in 1997, Bernal Esquivel leads La Comunidad Arco Iris (the Rainbow Community) of San Jose, Costa Rica. Bernal was recently appointed Other Sheep Coordinator for Central America. Bernal and his partner Rafael Rodriquez, an English language teacher, enthusiastically welcomed and hosted Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director and Jose Ortiz, his partner and co-laborer, in Costa Rica during their visit. |
| LGBT Costa Ricans learn about Other Sheep in East Africa |
Steve Parelli presents a power point on Kenya-Uganda 2007 to La Comunidad Arco Iris, San Jose, Costa Rica, April 29, 2008.
Click here for a full PICTORIAL REPORT |
 Pictured here are members of La Comunidad Arco Iris of San Jose, Costa Rica, who attended Steve Parelli's presentation on Kenya-Uganda 2007. Not all present at the meeting were able to be part of this picture intended for the Internet. |
| Latin American Biblical University and Other Sheep meet |
Steve Parelli meets professors who are long-standing supporters of Other Sheep, and tells students about his "ex-gay" experience.
Click here for a full pictorial report on MEETING THE PROFESSORS, on MEETING THE STUDENTS |
   Steve lunched with students of the Latin American Biblical University. He took the opportunity to talk about Other Sheep and to share copies of his "ex-gay" story (in Spanish). |
| Focus on the Family Hispanic World and Other Sheep meet |
Assistant to the Director of Focus on the Family Hispanic World grants meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica, with Other Sheep Executive Director
Click here for the full WRITTEN REPORT on meeting the Assistant to the Director |
 Focus on the Family is the international ministry of radio speaker Dr. James Dobson. It is an evangelical ministry and often the representative voice of the religious right in the Untied States in political and social concerns. James Dobson and Focus on the Family regularly oppose equality marriage for homosexuals and actively support the "ex-gay" movement.
On Sunday, April 20, Jose and I just happened to pass Focus on the Family. We were heading out from Bernal Esquivel's home, just three blocks away. He drew us a map to show us the best way out of town. He did not mention that we would pass Focus on the Family. Our destination was La Fortuna, which took us the rest of the day to get there.
Just minutes into our drive we made an unexpected stop: "Look," I said. "That's Focus on the Family." Being Sunday, it was closed. "Next week when I am still here and you are back in NYC, I will make a call on Focus on the Family and see if I can speak with the director." READ MORE |
| Some people I met as I travelled in Costa Rica |
Photos with comments of people I met. Also additional contacts: two newspapers, a Baptist church, an evangelical school, everyday people.
Click here for the full PICTORIAL REPORT |
  The picture on the right is Lincoln, a gay Christian man who lives in Limon (Caribbean coast) who I happened to meet when I stopped in front of his cafe (situated across from Carnival Cruises) to ask for directions to a bank and to an Internet cafe. He invited me to use his personal computer in his shop. I did. As we visited I learned that there used to be a gay Christian group in Limon which he attended. It no longer meets. He was, of course, very interested in Other Sheep and the gay-religious contacts in San Jose. He proudly gave me permission to post his picture and information on my website. He previewed the Other Sheep web page with his picture and then emailed that he was more than glad to be pictured with such an important ministry. And what's the story behind the picture on the left? READ MORE |
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| History from our Archives |
 1991, Mexico City ILGA meeting: Rev. Dr. Tom Hanks (photo at left), Other Sheep founder and theologian, once said to ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) in initiating ILGA's Working Party on Religion - "What is your biggest problem with winning LGBT rights." Answer: "Religion." Follow up question: "And what are you doing about it?" Answer: "Nothing, because we aren't interested in religion." Today, like other non-religious LGBT organizations that address religion positively, ILGA, because of Tom Hanks' efforts, includes a pre-conference day on religion and LGBT issues. READ MORE from the Archives | |
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And just for fun . . . take a tour of Costa Rica . . . see the Arenal Volcano, the rainforests of Monteverde, both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, a variety of tropical flowers, and don't miss some great pitcures of Jose and me (especially Jose!).
Go to the INDEX PAGE, then scroll down and follow the arrow
Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz personally financed both the business part and the vacation part of the trip themselves. No Other Sheep funds or donations of any kind were used for either the business or vacation part of this trip. Go to The Evolution of Our Costa Rica Trip | |
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Other Sheep is an ecumentical Christain minstry that works for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions worldwide.
" . . . connecting people with people and people with resources . . . "
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