Week 58 - July 27, 2015 - Manila Philippines - Report on Bangalore Stake Formation

I thought I would forward you an email that my MTC companion (Elder Dias) sent out this week.  He has half Indian heritage so he was able to stay even when his visa expires.  Not sure if it will happen or not, but things are looking up.  Here it is:

We've been about 80 baptisms short of the 1,900 needed to submit the application to become a stake. The problem was that we needed the baptisms by August 15. To apply for the necessary visas for the needed General Authorities and the preparation for making Bangalore a stake at the next district conference in November.  It's been looking bleak as anything so Elder Gill and I decided it was time to go HARD IN THE PAINT!!

Last week on Monday after the worst Auto Riksha Ride ever (26K adventure into nowhere land), President Berrett decided that he would call us in to brief us on the Sit-Rep of the district as of then.  We were at 1840 members in Bangalore - out of the required 1900. So close yet so far.. I asked if children under 8 counted... He found out that it was a YES.. That is when Elder Gill and I went Hamm Sandwich on our respective Branches. 

The funny thing was, nearly half of the children came from the super active families, no one felt (or knew) to create a record for them. I went and helped another Branch in Elder Gill's district - the other branch that shares the Ramamurthynagar building (my old branch).. So Elder Gill and I sat with President Karthikagan (of RMNAGAR) and entered over 30 names and growing. We took the current deficit of 52 to a deficit of 13 - I'm not finished yet either.

 There is so much work that goes into a branch, a district, a ward, a stake... and eventually a temple. It will be so worth the effort.