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| REPORTS |
| Gay and Christian in KENYA, UGANDA, TANZANIA, RWANDA AND BURUNDI |
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ACTIVITIES ACCOMPLISHED
1. Three day seminar, July 7-9, on "Christianity and Homosexuality: From a different point of
view."
- Seminar met mornings from 8:30-noon, Monday-Wednesday in the Arkland Hotel in downtown
Nairobi. Attendance varied from 18-24 per day not including the 5 speakers. Four workshops a
day were held. Refreshments were provided. Attendees provided their contact information for
future emailings. Attendees were emailed a request for evaluation and feedback. - No clergyperson attended. Clergy who had said they would come, later said they stayed away
for fear of the stigma their peers or superiors might place on them. - Other Sheep speakers: Rev. John Makokha (UMC), Anne Makokha Baraza (UMC), Rev. Michael
Kimindu (Anglican priest and MCC minister), Peter Wanyama (Anglican layperson), Jose Ortiz
and Steve Parelli (Other Sheep, Bronx, NY). See seminar program for session titles. - Featured guest speaker: Angus Parkinson, a health and sexuality consultant, spoke on HIV-
AIDS in a special workshop which was co-facilitated by The Kenya National Aids Control Council.
- Nairobi Star (local paper) and Kiss100 (radio station) covered the workshop.
- Nairobi Star published an article on the workshop on the front page of their
Thursday, July 10, 2008, issue. The article included the following: "Rev. Michael
Kimindu of the ACK and Rev. John Makokha of the United Methodist Church both
local officials of the Other Sheep Kenya, an organization advocating for the
acceptance of homosexuals and lesbians in their respective faiths, said pastors
should be aware that up to a third of their flock could be gay. 'We do not promote
what is inborn, we only promote what is outside,' the two said." - Kiss100, we were told, also aired something in relationship to the workshop/seminar
2. Sunday Service and Youth Seminar at the Riruta United Methodist Church, Riruta, Kenya,
Sunday July 6. Rev. John Makokha, Coordinator for Other Sheep Kenya, is pastor. Rev.
Michael Kimindu, Coordinator for Other Sheep East Africa, attended the service and youth
seminar.
- In the morning Sunday service, Jose Ortiz spoke briefly from the pulpit on Other Sheep and his
journey and Steve Parelli preached from Luke 17:11-19 on inclusion. - In the afternoon, Steve and Jose conducted a discussion group with the youth (ages 15-25) for
about 2 and ½ hours, primarily on homosexuality and the Bible, though not exclusively. About 18
were in attendance. Attendees sat in a circle to facilitate discussion. Caulk and board were used
to diagram and explain certain aspects of the discussion.
3. Meetings and Interaction with Other Sheep Coordinators and Other Sheep Lay Leaders
(Project Support Team)
- Upon our arrival at the airport, 6:30am, Friday, July 4, Jose and Steve
- were greeted by Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha and one Other Sheep Kenya Project
Support Team member; - The five of us spent the day together discussing Other Sheep over breakfast, a late lunch,
and while arranging for Steve and Jose's accommodations.
- Saturday, July 5, Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha with Steve and Jose
- visited the site of the seminar for final preparations.
- Then Jose and Steve with Rev. Kimindu visited the home of Rev. John Makokha and met
his wife, Anne, Baraza, a daughter and sister. A delicious home cooked, Kenyan diner was
served. - A formal business meeting was conducted in the Other Sheep Kenya office (a room in the
Makokha home) with Rev. Makokha, Rev. Kimindu, and Jose and Steve.
- Sunday evening, July 6, Jose and Steve met with
- the Other Sheep Kenya Project Team members along with Rev. Makokha and Rev.
Kimindu at the Arkland Hotel seminar room to review the schedule for the seminar.
- Wednesday, July 9, Jose and Steve
- hosted Rev. Kimindu, Rev. Makokha and his family, and two Project Support Team
members, and another, in their FAWE living quarters (kitchen, living area), with pizza and
soda. This event followed the conclusion of the seminar. - Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha and Jose and Steve conducted a formal business
meeting in which they planned and budgeted the Mombasa and Kisumu trips (which
Makokha and Kimindu will conduct; Jose and Steve are to join them in Kisumu, but not in
Mombasa). Also, a budget was drawn up for costs to meet priority ministry needs (apart
from personal needs).
- Thursday, July 10, Jose and Steve
- meet with Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha for lunch and finalize plans for the Mombasa
trip; discuss projects and agree upon an honorarium to pay Rev. Kimindu and Rev.
Makokha
- Friday, July 11, Other Sheep (Jose and Steve)
- host a diner for the Other Sheep Kenya Project Support Team members at Slims
Restaurant in a private room. Ten people were present: Jose and Steve, Rev. Makokha
and Rev. Kimindu and his wife-to-be, and the five Project Support Team members: Peter
and Fabian (a couple, Anglicans), Moses and Benjamin (brothers-twins, Pentecostals),
Maxine (a religious seeker, lesbian) . Everyone spoke and gave testimony to what the
past year meant to them in Other Sheep Kenya.
- Sunday, July 13, Jose and Steve
- take Peter and Fabian, a couple who are both Project Support Team members, to lunch
- go with Peter and Fabian to the Other Sheep Kenya fellowship meeting at Rev. Kimindu's
home. Rev. Makokha is in attendance and Rev. Kimindu's fiancée. Steve is asked to
speak – he speaks from Acts (Peter and Cornelius, on inclusion)
- Monday, July 14, at Jose and Steve's "home" (FAWE)
- In the morning, Rev. Makokha writes article (at FAWE computer) on the seminar
- Late in the afternoon, Rev. Kimindu arrives and we share a pizza diner in honor of his
having received his visa to Great Britain for Lambeth. - In the evening, finalize with Rev. Kimindu (and with Rev. Makokha by phone) the budget for
the Kisumu trip: Since Rev. Kimindu will be in England, Rev. Makokha will take his wife to
Kisumu in place of Rev. Kimindu. The budget and distribution of money was adjusted
accordingly.
4. Our interaction with Ishtar MSM, GALCK, and last year's LGBT community (60+ who were
contacts primarily through Ishtar MSM who participated in discussion groups, July – August,
2007, at Blackrose Apartments.)
- Jose and Steve sent two different invitations to last years' LGBT community:
- Invitations to attend the 3 day seminar, July 7-9, had been sent right along before arriving
in Nairobi; phone calls were made to individuals after arriving in Nairobi. - Invitations to attend a "Reunion" for last years participants, scheduled for Thursday
evening, July 10, at FAWE, were sent by Constant Contact email, early in our stay.
- A MWA (Minority Women in Action) member (Director?) attended all three morning sessions and
expressed deep appreciation.
- GALCK members Pits, Pauline (Director), and David arrived to greet seminar participants
at the end of the last session of the last day.
- Pits, as Director of Ishtar, asked to meet with Other Sheep, to discuss a particular
misunderstanding that had occurred between Other Sheep and Ishtar during the 10 interceding
months between July 2007 and July 2008. Pits invited Pauline (Director of GALCK) to observe;
Other Sheep participants were Jose and Steve, Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha. The
misunderstanding was resolved. This meeting was conducted July 10, 2008, just prior to the
"Reunion." - The July 10, 2008 "Reunion" at FAWE
- About 35+ people attended including Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha.
- Soda and cookies were provided for refreshments
- The highlight of the evening was the PowerPoint presentation of Other Sheep in Kenya
2007. A conference room was rented for the presentation. The PowerPoint presentation
is what Jose and Steve had shown to churches and groups back in the United States over
the past year. LGBT Kenyans were able to see how we portrayed, in the States, what had
occurred in Nairobi last year. It was an excellent opportunity to show the work of Other
Sheep and to reconnect.
5. Appointments, "random" contacts, impromptu meetings.
- Jose and Steve had appointments with two significant clergypersons (name of denomination
withheld) to discuss Other Sheep - Rev. Kimindu and Steve, at the home of an individual who was receiving a blessing for their new
home, spoke with the officiating clergy about Other Sheep and gave materials; also, Rev.
Kimindu and Steve had an impromptu meeting with 11 women there during which they asked
varied questions about gay men, especially about gay sex. (Lasted 30 minutes.) - Jose and Steve made contact with a Quaker layperson and gave him materials.
- In our apartment, Jose and Steve, by appointment, met with a Muslim and his Christian friend
(Seventh Day Adventist) - In our apartment, Jose and Steve met with an individual who works in high society (area of work
withheld) who later met with Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha and Jose and Steve to discus the
needs of Other Sheep Kenya - Jose and Steve met (along with either or both Rev. Kimindu and Rev. Makokha) with two different
Other Sheep participants to discuss particular situations.
6. eNews letters sent to our constituency through Constant Contact during this 12 day
period in Nairobi. Steve wrote (Rev. Makokha and Steve wrote for the issue reporting on
the seminar) and did the layout design for the following eNews:
- eNews announcing schedule change for seminar: HIV-Aids guest speaker announced
- eNews inviting individuals to July 10 "Reunion"
- two eNews to Sacramento, California, churches seeking speaking engagement(s) between the
dates of August 22-26 (when Jose and Steve will be in Sacramento to be married) - eNews announcing Rev. Kimindu's visa issue to Great Britain for Lambeth
- eNews reporting on the three day OS Kenya seminar
| – Jose Ortiz and Steve Parelli OUT in Africa – a REPORT on their work with OTHER SHEEP KENYA in Nairobi, Kenya from July 4 to July 15, 2008 12 DAYS Written, Monday, July 14, 2008, at FAWE in Kilimani, Nairobi, Kenya and, Friday, July 18, 2008, in Kigali, Rwanda by Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director |
| Meet us under the acacia tree |
| This web page was constructed July 20, 2008, in Kigali, Rwanda Visits made to this web page since its date of publishing from Kampala, Uganda, July 27, 2008 |
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