The first stake in Haiti and the second in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, have been created.
The first stake in Haiti, the Port-Au-Prince Haiti Stake, was created by Elder John K. Carmack of the Seventy. It includes the Carrefour, Carrefour-Feuilles, Centrale, Delmas, Haut Delmas, Martissant and Petionville wards, and the Croix Des Bouquets and Croix-Des-Missions branches. Missionary work opened in the Caribbean country in May 1980, and the Haiti Port-Au-Prince Mission was created Aug. 4, 1984. Today there are about 5,300 members in Haiti.A little more than a decade after what was then Zaire gave legal status to the Church in February 1986, a new stake in this central African country was created by Elder James O. Mason of the Seventy. It is the second stake in the country, and the first since the country's name was changed to the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year. The Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of Congo Stake includes the Gecamines, Katuba, Lubumbashi, Nyashi 1st and 2nd, and Ruashi wards.
Elsewhere, four other new stakes were created in Colombia and Ecuador.
The Cali Colombia Jardin Stake, which includes the El Jardin, El Vallado, Israel, Maracaibo and Villa Del Sur wards, and the El Poblado branch, has been created by Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy.
The Guayaquil Ecuador Puerto Liza Stake, which includes the Amazonas, Domingo Norero, Los Claveles, Porvenir and Sedalana wards, and the Jorge Delgado and Otavalo branches, has been created by Elder Francisco J. Vinas of the Seventy.
Elder Eran A. Call of the Seventy has created two stakes in Ecuador, the Quevedo Ecuador Guayacan Stake and Quevedo Ecuador San Camilo Stake. The Guayacan stake includes the El Empalme, Guayacan, Guayas, Mirado, Progreso and Quevedo wards. The San Camilo stake includes the Nuevo Jerusalem, Porvenir, Primavera, Republica and San Camilo wards, and the Valencia branch.
In other parts of the world, stakes have been reorganized in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and in California, Pennsylvania and Utah.
New stakes
CALI COLOMBIA JARDIN STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) Created from the Cali Colombia Americas Stake. President - Nestor Antonio Lopez R., 43, teacher; wife, Magali Pinzolo Salamonica C. de Lopez. Counselors - Rodney Munoz D., 30, small business owner; wife, Martha Ninasco L. de Munoz. Angel Gonzales P., 30, self-employed; wife, Myrian Janeh Rico C. de Gonzales.
GUAYAQUIL ECUADOR PUERTO LIZA STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) Created from the Guayaquil Ecuador Centenario Stake. President - Luis Eduardo Romo M., 38; wife, Katty Pamela Guerrero A. de Romo. Counselors - Patricio Eucebio Herrera M., 49, instructor in aluminum and glass construction; wife, Patita Ulda Alvarado G. de Herrera. Cristobal Sanchez C., 55, business owner; wife, Amada Leon A. de Sanchez.
LUBUMBASHI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) Created from the Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of Congo District. President - Nzembelenge Kefa Milambo, 62, mechanic; wife, Kabenjabu Mbombo Milambo. Counselors - A Kapend Yav Musoka, 55, director of School for National Education; wife, Kabwiz Kon Musoka. Jean-Paul Kiluka Musema, 36, teacher; wife, Justine Ngoy Masangu Musema.
PORT-AU-PRINCE HAITI STAKE: (Sept. 21, 1997) Created from the Port-Au-Prince Haiti North and Port-Au-Prince South districts. President - Reynolds Antoine Saint-Louis, 50, owner of pharmaceutical business; wife, Gislaine Antoine Saint-Louis. Counselors - Antoine Edouard Joseph, 50, dispatcher for Canadian Embassy in Port-Au-Prince; wife, Marie Lourdes Pierre Joseph. Judex Joseph, 35, administrator of La Providence Foundation; wife, Marie Edelle Taylor Joseph.
QUEVEDO ECUADOR GUAYACAN STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) Created from the Quevedo Ecuador Stake. President - Jose Meliton Vera L., 34, regional coordinator for Church Educational System; wife, Emy Pino R. de Vera. Counselors - Cesar Reinaldo Cantos G., 31, sales agent for Jackson Chan.; wife, Sissy Elizabeth Rivas M. de Cantos. Angel Oliverio Fonseca G., 64, electrician; wife, Ana Maria Fonseca G. de Fonseca.
QUEVEDO ECUADOR SAN CAMILO STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) Created from the Quevedo Ecuador Stake. President - Angel Cristobal Garcia M., 63, president of Second Tribunal Penal Los Rios Court for Supreme Court of Justice; wife, Olga Celinda Adum Q. de Garcia. Counselors - Ivan Ernesto Rosero M., 33, security guard; wife, Julia Albertina Ojeda C. de Rosero. Martin De Jesus Veliz B., 48, construction worker; wife, Armida Besilda Ubilla C. de Veliz.
Stake reorganizations
CALI COLOMBIA AMERICAS STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) President - Tulio Jair Izquierdo Londono, retained. Counselors - Silver Mario Lozano O., 32, city traffic officer; wife, Mary Nancy Guerrero L. de Lozano. Giovanny Fernandez R., 32, medical worker; wife, Maria Edith Herrera O. de Fernandez.
FRESNO CALIFORNIA STAKE: (Sept. 14, 1997) President - Craig Merrill Mortensen, 44, attorney for Stammer McKnight; succeeding Jay R. Christensen; wife, Susan Joan Dearden Mortensen. Counselors - Dale Edward Bacigalupi, 45, attorney; wife, Nancy Bushman Bacigalupi. Randy Ruel Haar, 37, video director for CSUF; wife, Gay Brown Haar.
GUADALAJARA MEXICO INDEPENDENCIA STAKE: (Sept. 14, 1997) President - Lehi Aparicio R., 47, long distance technician for telephone company; succeeding Leonardo Reyes Ortiz; wife, Georgina Lopez C. de Aparicio. Counselors - Jose Romero G., 44, ; wife, Maria Guadaupe Hernandez R. de Romero. Rey Lehi Rosas V., 32, furniture maker; wife, Leticia Sanchez O. de Rosas.
GUAYAQUIL ECUADOR CENTENARIO STAKE: (Sept. 7, 1997) President - Carlos Stalyn Puruncajas W., 28, sales executive for Onix Company; succeeding Burbano Ramos Villegas; wife, Maria de Lourdes Ortega G. de Puruncajas. Francisco Gabriel Noles A., 36, drinking water pump operator; wife, Leyther Janeth Choez Z. de Noles. Juan David Mino P., 36, biologist; wife, Cruz Candeloria Cantos M. de Mino.
HARRISBURG PENNSLYVANIA STAKE: (Sept. 14, 1997) President - Ned Clark Arnold, 58, operations support and systems manager for New Holland Inc.; succeeding Jon Wayne Meilstrup; wife, Margaret Mae Winn Arnold. Counselors - Dennis Eugene Rehm, 45, managing consultant for Icon Solutions; wife, Ruth Naomia Gifford Rehm. Timothy Ferguson, 50, eastern regional manager for Liberty Safe & Security; wife, Patty Lou Hartman Ferguson.
QUEVEDO ECUADOR BELLAVISTA STAKE (FORMERLY QUEVEDO ECUADOR STAKE): (Sept. 7, 1997) President - Jose Felix Lara Castro, retained. Counselors - Bolivar Zoilo Espinoza F., 49, business owner; wife, Celeste Mercedes Briones S. de Espinoza. Cesar Augusto Cepeda Q., 38, teacher; wife, Lenny Maria Morante C. de Cepeda.
TOOELE UTAH NORTH STAKE: (Aug. 10, 1997) President - Kim Albert Halladay, 47, podiatric physician; succeeding Paul M. Loveless; wife, Janet Calder Halladay. Counselors - Ray Lavon Ashby, 53, seminary teacher; wife, Teresa Bryan Ashby. Kenneth Charles Christensen, 35, controller for Christensen/Griffith Construction; wife, Sharie Jean King Christensen.
