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 Other Sheep in Nepal - A Report
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2009 Southeast Asia Trip - Part 1/4 |
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The Parelli-Ortiz Other Sheep Southeast Asia Trip: Part 1/4 - Nepal
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Manhattan, New York:
Wednesday evening, June 24
Two days prior to leaving for Nepal. Wednesday, June 24, while still in NYC
We had an informal meeting with Sunil Pant with whom we had been corresponding by email since February. Sunil Pant is founder and Director of Blue Diamond Society of Nepal. At the meeting, we gave him Other Sheep material including a paper on exposing the "ex-gay" movement and the book The Children Are Free. |
Travel from NYC to Nepal
2 Days
Friday night, June 26 - Sunday evening, June 28
We traveled by air from JFK, NYC, to Katmandu, Nepal, with a one night and next morning lay over in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for connecting flight.
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Kathmandu, Nepal
12 Days
Sunday, June 28 - Friday, July 10 |
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Kathmandu:
Sunday night, June 28 - Friday morning, June 3
- We contacted five area pastors by phone for one-on-one appointments (as previously arranged months earlier by email); personal meetings with pastors were held in Shaun's home. Wednesday and Thursday, July 1 and 2.
- One pastor, following his appointment, gave us a tour of the immediate area and of a well known local church. Wednesday, July 2.
- Jose (with some help from Steve) personally phoned 75 area pastors for Pastors' Seminar on the Bible and Homosexuality; we made arrangements for a local "hall" for the seminar.
- We met with the following three LGBT human rights group:
- Dinner with Blue Diamond Society: Sunil Pant, founder and director, and several members. Sunil stated that the book The Children Are Free needs to be translated into Nepali. Thursday evening, July 2. The following day we toured BDS offices. Friday morning, July 3.
- Mitini Nepal, lesbian activist organization: Meeting in their offices with members. Friday morning, July 3.
- Protection Desk Nepal. Meeting in their offices with staff members. Friday morning, July 3.
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Kathmandu:
Friday afternoon, July 3 - Friday morning, July 10
6 days (7 nights)
We stayed at the Gokarna Forest Resort, Kathmandu.
- We finalized plans for the seminar including customizing the PowerPoint presentation for Nepal, making additional phone calls to area pastors, photo copying hand outs. Saturday, July 4.
- We conducted Pastors' Seminar. Sunday, July 5.�
- We were interviewed by a small regional evangelical paper. Monday, July 6.
- We gave Other Sheep seminar on the "ex-gay" movement, sponsored by Blue Diamond Society for BDS members and guests. Wednesday, July 8.
- About twenty people attended.
- PowerPoint presentation was given (using BDS projector).
- "Ex-gay" paper handed out.
- We had dinner in the home of a Nepali LGBT activist. Wednesday, July 8.
- We entertained six members from Blue Diamond Society at Gokarna Forest Resort: hiking, swimming, lunching together. Thursday, July 9, 2009.
- At Gokarna Forest Resort, we met with two area pastors (who were not able to attend the Pastors' Seminar), discussed Other Sheep, learned about their interests and concerns for LGBT people of faith, and introduced them to Blue Diamond Society members. One pastor exchanged contact information with a Blue Diamond Society member. Pastors were responsive and sympathetic.
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Cultural enrichment while in Nepal
- We visited a major Hindu Temple area. Tuesday afternoon, June 30.
- We hiked the forest, rice paddies, and visited the local village Hindu temple, all within walking distance from Gokarna Forest Resort
- Air tour of the Himalayas (Mt. Everest). Early Friday morning, July 10, day of departure from Nepal.
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Other Sheep is a multi-cultural ecumenical Christian ministry that works worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions.
" . . . connecting people with people and people with resources . . . " |
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