I like to call my current situation semi-retirement, which allows me to spend time gardening,
keeping up with the news (especially U. S. politics – thank God for the Internet!) and doing things
around our country home two hours east of Mexico City where we live most of the time.  But I'm
also very involved in various types of ministry work.

Assisting Tom Hanks in the preparation of Spanish and English versions of his two new books

The majority of my Other Sheep-related work during the past year has been assisting Tom Hanks
in the preparation of Spanish and English versions of his two new books, 40 Myths in the Seven
“Clobber” Texts Unmasked with Exegetical Studies and Sexual Minorities in the Bible: the Positive
Texts (the current working titles).  The Spanish version of 40 Myths has already been published
by Epifanía in Buenos Aires.  I'm sure Tom will give more details concerning these books.  

The Spanish publication of The Children Are Free (Dios nos ha hecho libres) and its distribution in
Latin America

You may recall that last year and the previous year we were heavily involved in the preparation for
publication of Dios nos ha hecho libres, the Spanish version of The Children Are Free, which
Tom's team in Buenos Aires had previously translated.  This is the book by Jeff Miner (pastor of
Jesus MCC, now LifeJourney MCC, in Indianapolis, Indiana) and John Tyler Connoley that Steve
and José have used a great deal in their work in Africa and Asia.  Last year (2010) Found Pearl
Press (LifeJourney's publishing ministry) published the Spanish version, and copies were given to
the ICM (Spanish for MCC) leaders in Latin America at last year's MCC triennial global conference
in Acapulco.  Some 40 copies were later mailed to other lgbt ministries, which provided the
motivation to try to update our directory of ministries in Latin America.  

In June I belatedly took copies of Dios nos ha hecho libres to the two lgbt bookstores in Mexico
City and one of them, Voces en Tinta, gave us space to present the book on Sept. 30th to a
standing-room-only crowd of about 50.  Participants included (name withheld), a gay Catholic
theologian; (name withheld), a gay-positive Presbyterian pastor; and (name withheld), coordinator
of Emaús, an interdenominational lgbt ministry here which meets in our apartment.  Additionally,
the Jalisco state government (capital, Guadalajara) HIV-AIDS agency has purchased 80 copies of
Dios nos ha hecho libres for training of its staff – this in one of the most religiously conservative
states in the country!

Update on the status of Other Sheep Coordinators for Latin America

You may also recall that some four years ago we developed a plan for three coordinators for sub-
regions of Latin America:  Rev. Victor Bracuto (in Buenos Aires) for South America, Bernal
Esquivel (in San Jose, Costa Rica) for Central America and (name withheld) in Mexico City for
Mexico, with yours truly continuing as general coordinator for the entire area.  Victor and Bernal
accepted the appointment, but our contact in Mexico City did not for fear he would not have time to
fulfill the task and for personal reasons.  You will hopefully receive a current report from Victor,
although he is overworked and may not have the time.  Bernal started out with considerable
enthusiasm and was making contacts in several countries, but after his 2008 annual report I lost
contact with him.  As I recall, that was a time in which I was unfortunately going through a burn-out
phase, and I failed to maintain contact with him.  The need for this current report has motivated me
to attempt contact again to explore the possibility of resuming his work with us in Central America.

Website Update & How email Requests for Information and Counseling is Provided

I have also been very remiss in not updating our Web site, “Gay y cristiano? Sí!” (“Gay and
Christian? Yes!” – www.otrasovejas.org).   In spite of this, however, we continue to receive 1-2
requests per week for information and counseling.  Women who contact us are frequently referred
to Esther Baruja, a Paraguayan lesbian friend of Tom's now studying theology in Chicago.  Rev.
Victor Bracuto and Rev. Greg Tobar, a former Catholic priest working with Victor in Buenos Aires,
assist me with men in South America who indicate where they live.

Potential Ministry Leaders in Various Latin American Countries

An ongoing concern is to be on the lookout for potential ministry leaders in the various Latin
American countries.  To that end I am currently in dialog with an evangelical Chilean pastor who is
currently pastoring a straight church in southern Peru; a Presbyterian man in Armenia, Colombia;
a Catholic seminary graduate in Bogota, Colombia; and a former Catholic priest in Mexico.

A Request for Prayers for the Ministry

So much more could be done in Latin America.  I appreciate your prayers for guidance and ask
that you “pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his
fields.”  Pepe and I both send personal greetings to all.

Mexico City – Nov. 2, 2011

    Remembering my first meeting with Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz in Taxco, Mexico in 2005 where they were
    first introduced to Other Sheep

    P.S. – I very recently had the opportunity with friends to again visit Taxco, Mexico, where Pepe and I first
    met Steve and Jose in 2005.  My friends chose an upstairs restaurant on the plaza with little balconies for
    breakfast and on going upstairs, I discovered it was the same place where Pepe and I met Steve and Jose
    six years ago to introduce them to Other Sheep!  How things have changed for the organization since that
    day!  Fond memories!

Other Sheep in
Latin America

Go to
Home Page

on this page...

2011 Annual
Report
by John Doner,
Other Sheep
Coordinator
for Latin
America
This web page was create in and published from the
Bronx, NY, on December 17, 2011

Visits to this web page since December 15, 2011:
"I have other sheep that are not of this
fold.  I must bring them in also."  
John 10:16
Counter
 
"I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also."  
John 10:16 NRSV
Other Sheep Websites
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other Sheep in Latin America:  Reports & writings in English
Go to Index Page of Other Sheep in Latin America:  Reports & Writings in English

2011 Annual Report
John Doner, Other Sheep Coordinator for Latin America
Mexico City – Nov. 2, 2011
_________________________________________________________________________________
Above photo:  John Doner
Source:  Facebook
Above Photo:  John Doner with
partner Pepe, Taxco, Mexico,
2005.  Photo by Steve Parelli