Announcing Louisiana

Dear everybody in the world.
My wife and I are announcing that we've chosen to begin our career and raise our family in Shreveport Louisiana!!!

We were led to Shreveport due to a number of what we are certain were inspired events.  

But why Louisiana? I will explain.

There. Done explaining.

Ok Ok, so for the rest of you who are not Cajun food lovers of Crawfish, I'll offer 10 more reasons we chose Shreveport Louisiana.

10. It's beautiful

9. The climate. Average snowy days per year = .8  (ancient chinese proverb: "happy wife = happy life.")

8. Cost of Living is 15% lower that the average city in the USA while the optometry salary offered to us is 50% higher than the average optometrist in the USA. This means

It means that we'll have the means to raise our family. And have enough left over to be able to serve in health focused humanitarian projects.

7. Karl Malone

He's from Northern Louisiana and played college ball at LA Tech whose campus is 1 hour east of Shreveport. Also did you forget that "The Utah Jazz" orgininally was called "The New Orleans Jazz."

6. Crime is low. As in non-existent in the place we plan on living. For example, there was 1 robbery in 2001. No rapes, no murders, and all the smaller crimes are actually decreasing over the past few years.

5. Country. With the land being relatively cheap and open forests, fields and trails bordering your backyard there's no limit to what you can do outdoors. 

4. Empty house.  When you combine low crime, good weather, and wide open country you get a place to let a house full of boys to roam free, exercise, explore, and get their wiggles out, granting mom some sanity in the home. We understand that our children all are genetically exposed to nintendo syndrome (from brad's genes) and intense tendencies to watch movies all day (from Amy's genes.) We feel we must prepare a home to counteract the symptoms of these diseases.

3. The South

You may have heard rumors. Southern hospitality really does exist. 

Folks in the south are simply more friendly. They will get in your business and they will share with you their own business. It's the most religious place I've ever been and that definitely includes Utah. The Mormons in Salt Lake City have a lot to learn on how to take religion public and share the word of Jesus with anyone who just happens to sit down beside ya. It's a culture that is not going to last very much longer in the United States but so long as it does I want my boys to experience it. Also, remember to always respond properly to "how d'ya do?" the next time B'rer rabbit goes hopping by.

2. We've asked God where we should live and He has pushed us and pushed us towards Louisiana over the past year. In our hearts we feel so warmly towards Shreveport and every other place just feels wrong.  Although we think we know best and we try and make lists of reasons why we should live in Texas, Louisiana, or Utah, the TRUTH is that only God really knows which location will be most beneficial to our family. Only He sees the big picture and knows what will be best for everyone.  The 2nd Coming of our Savior is approaching and I plan on a future full of change, war, and destruction. We can't predict where safety lies and so we must trust in the Lord and immediately follow His Counsels wherever he leads us.

1. We've received a mission call!

Amy and I have both received a mission call in the mail from church headquarters. The prophet has invited us to serve as proselyting missionaries in the Jackson, Mississippi mission. This includes Shreveport, Louisiana.

I wanted to put it that way so that all of my Utah family members could understand. We send out our sons and daughters into the mission field without questioning why England? Why Honduras? Why Canada? We just do it because we know that those places NEED MISSIONARIES! Think about it, we sacrifice 18 mo to 2 years of our children's lives for the benefit of people we don't know who live far away. And then after the assignment is complete we get our kids back and quickly forget about the entire purpose why they left. Why do we forget about those people in need of the Gospel? Why do we forget how badly the world needs missionaries? Although there is much work to do among the saints in Utah there is far greater work to be done outside of church headquarters. For many generations the general membership of the saints in Utah have been growing and enjoying building families in one place. But change is coming. Worldwide change is coming and the Lord is preparing for his second coming. Amy and I are among many others who have felt this call to depart from the usual life plan which our parents and grandparents have enjoyed.  There is an urgency to follow God and depart which hasn't been felt in our family for a couple hundred years. Our pioneer ancestors however are with us, and they understand us. They left Scotland, England, Sweeden and Denmark to follow the Lord. Their families did not want them to take the grandbabies away either.

The Book of Mormon was brought back for our day and it starts out with a story of a family packing up and leaving their hometown to follow the Lord to a new land.

The House of Israel is being gathered, not to one nation nor one land anymore but throughout the world and there are many pockets of the world in need of hunters and fishermen to find those who are lost. Shreveport, LA is one of the farthest cities in the US from an operating temple. Amy and I plan on getting a temple built nearby in the next 10 years. 

If you haven't felt it, then let me say it. We Are Excited! This is the same excitement that comes from your 19 year old child when he opens that mission call and receives a formal invitation to serve. No we haven't really received a letter in the mail, but our calling is just as certain and just as divine.

And remember airplanes.  Both Delta and United airlines fly directly to Shreveport, LA anytime for about $320.00 bucks round-trip.

So no tiring driving trips to Dallas or Austin through NYC or Long Beach. It's fast and direct and cheap. No rental car needed either. And if things go as planned we'll have a nice mobile home available for any visitors. Y'all are welcome anytime for some nice warm southern comfort food with the family.

Family, and friends, we LOVE you and wish you all the best in deciding with the Lord where your own future lies. He's always there to guide us and our purpose on Earth is to choose to follow Him or fall by the wayside.