Venezuela Caracas

New stake presidents

A new stake has been created in Venezuela. The El Tigre Venezuela Stake, which includes the Cantaura, Centro, El Tigrito, Inavi and Las Colinas wards, and the Tachira branch, has been created by Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Seventy.

New stake

EL TIGRE VENEZUELA STAKE: (June 29, 2003) Created from the El Tigre Venezuela District. President — Alfredo Jose Rodriguez Carmona, 44, coordinator for the Ministerio Educacion Superior; wife, Detsy Elena Hernandez Moreno de Rodriguez. Counselors — Robert Rafael Lozada Ytanare, 32, warehouse manager at Materiales Fort CA; wife, Giovanna del Valle Martinez Meneses de Lozada. Jesus Andres Colls Garcia, 32, self-employed; wife, Yuselis de los Angeles Manzano Martinez de Colls.

New Area Authority Seventies

The First Presidency has announced the calling of four new Area Authority Seventies:

Jay L. Sitterud

Jay L. Sitterud, 56, of Highland, Utah. Retired field vice president of Mutual of New York. Currently serving as president of the Venezuela Barcelona Mission. He is a former counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor and bishop. Married Joan Goodall; six children.

New stake presidents

Stakes have been reorganized in Argentina, England, Ghana, Guatemala, the Philippines, Switzerland and Venezuela, and in Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington.

VALENCIA VENEZUELA LOS SAUCES STAKE: (April 20, 2003) President — Omar Argenis Alvarez M., 49, regional manager for Genealogy Society of Utah; succeeding Teodoro Hoffmann Ilica; wife, Nexa Marina Compos F. de Alvarez. Counselors — Cesar Augusto Rodriguez B., 37, sales manager for Panamco-UZLA; wife, Maria Nelly Sevilla G. de Rodriguez. Luis Miguel Rosas F., 45, manager for Crown Group of Venezuela; wife, Graciela Josefina Jimenez S. de Rosas.

New Area Authority Seventies

Thirty-seven new Area Authority Seventies were sustained during the 173rd Annual General Conference April 5. Photos and biographies of four of them — D. Fraser Bullock, Stanley G. Ellis, G. Steven Laney and Jeffrey C. Swinton — were published Nov. 30, 2002. The remaining 33 [include]:

Rafael E. Pino

Rafael E. Pino, 47, Miranda, Venezuela; employment resource services manager for Church area office; counselor in the presidency of the Venezuela Caracas Mission; former bishop, stake president, and mission president. Married Patricia Villa Dassler; three children.

New stake presidents

Stakes have been reorganized in Australia, Ecuador, Guatemala, the Philippines and Venezuela, and in Ohio.

Stake reorganizations

MARACAIBO VENEZUELA SOUTH STAKE: (Feb. 23, 2003) President — Luis Manuel Petit, 58, president of construction company; succeeding Alberto Andis Alvarez Mosquera; wife, Joana Bautista Pemantal G. de Petit. Counselors — Luis Alberto Medina N., 42, sales manager for Sudinca; wife, Miriam Astenia Gonzalez de Medina. Luis Jose Torres A., 33, electrical technician Medical Carabal Equipment Engineering; wife, Liliana del Socoiro Florez B. de Torres.

New stake presidents

Three new stakes have been created in Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

The Barquisimeto Venezuela Obelisco Stake, which includes the Aeropuerto, Andres Bello, Centro, El Sisal, La Paz, Obelisco and San Jose wards, has been created by Elder Roberto Garcia, Area Authority Seventy.

Elsewhere, stakes have been reorganized in Chile, Hong Kong New Territories, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, and Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Washington.

NEW STAKES:

BARQUISIMETO VENEZUELA OBELISCO STAKE: (Feb. 23, 2003) Created from the Barquisimeto Venezuela Stake. President — Wilker Jose Pacheco D., 27, dairy salesman for Andilaro C.A.; wife, Veronica Venessa Sanchez de Pacheco. Counselors — Ildemaro Antonio Ferrer R., 35, self-employed in multilevel marketing for Nature Sunshine Products of Venezuela; wife, Ailyd Cristina Davila de Ferrer. Jose Gregorio Pinto, 40, maintenance technician for Church area office; wife, Xiomara del Carmen Tour de Pinto.

STAKE REORGANIZATIONS:

BARQUISIMETO VENEZUELA STAKE: (Feb. 23, 2003) President — Fidel Alberto Coello Z., 40, coordinator for Church Educational System; succeeding Julio Ramon Davila Duran; wife, Flor Maggaly Lastra de Coello. Counselors — Ramon Angel Querales S., retained. Oscar Antonio Riera M., 43, taxi driver; wife, Nelly Bautista Arroyo O. de Riera.

New mission presidents

Eight new mission presidents, called by the First Presidency, have been announced. They will begin their service about July 1.

Gamaliel de Jesus and Ivis M. Osorno

Gamaliel de Jesus Osorno F., 44, Venezuela Barcelona Mission; Nueva Valencia Ward, Valencia Venezuela Candelaria Stake; stake president; former branch president, bishop, counselor in bishopric and missionary. Institute director in Church Educational System. Born in Macuto, Venezuela, to Gildardo Osorno R. and Maria Josefa Florez de Osorno. Married Ivis Judith Moreno, four children.

A stake historian, she is a former Relief Society teacher, stake Young Women president, ward Young Women president, visiting teaching coordinator and counselor in Relief Society presidency. Born in Tamare, Venezuela, to Dilio Ramon Moreno M. and Maria Christina Fandi–o de Moreno.

Elders return to military unit

Wyoming missionaries called home to join deployment
By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer

President McKell W. Allred said he learned a lesson in civic duty recently when he sat down with a couple of young men who had just returned from full-time missionary service.

President Allred, who presides over the Afton Wyoming Stake, has interviewed several returned missionaries. But these two young elders from his stake were different. Neither had completed the 24-months of missionary work they had intended to serve. Instead, they had been called home early to fulfill military duties as part of the ongoing war against terrorism.

"It was really a patriotic lesson to see them and visit with them," said President Allred, who did not identify the pair at the request of their respective families.

Both of the Afton-area missionaries, who have since been deployed outside the state, are members of a Wyoming National Guard engineering unit that specializes in amphibious bridge building. President Allred said the leaders of the unit were cordial to work with and had hoped to allow the young men to finish their missionary service.

"But because of the technical aspect of the [engineering unit's] training they were not able to bring others in from elsewhere," President Allred said.

One of the Afton missionaries was on the cusp of completing his mission in the New Mexico Albuquerque Mission and was given an honorable release when he was called home. The second had been serving in Venezuela for about a year and was released with the understanding that he could return to missionary work if he desired, President Allred said.

A third full-time missionary from the neighboring Thayne Wyoming Stake was also called home to fulfill a military deployment. He had been in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, preparing to serve in Russia.

In all, very few full-time missionaries throughout the Church have been called home to fulfill military duties, said Dean Cleverly of the Church Missionary Department.

The military's decision to bring the full-time missionaries home early for deployment is believed to be unprecedented.

President Allred said the young men "had great attitudes" about their unexpected transition from full-time missionary to full-time soldier. The Afton Wyoming Stake has been dramatically impacted by the recent rounds of U.S. military movements. Some 30 men from the stake have been deployed. President Allred said military group leaders were called prior to their deployment to ensure the men can participate in Church services and enjoy LDS fellowship.

Local LDS leaders are also protecting the home front, looking after impacted local families regardless of their church affiliation.