Tomorrow we leave for Louisiana! I have to admit that I am freaking out. Doug keeps telling me to think of this as a vacation but my mind can't help but remember the fact that the purpose for our trip is for Doug to be interviewed for his dream job and that if it goes well we could be moving there! It feels like such a pivotal moment in our lives and that our future is dependant upon what happens during our visit! I was completely overwhelmed with emotion last night as Doug and I lay in bed talking about the possibility of moving. I think I may have been having a panic attack!
Neither Doug nor I really wants to leave Arizona. We LOVE it here! The weather is perfect, we have family and friends here, we are settled and comfortable here. But there are no full time ministry positions here! Most churches in Arizona are laying people off! Doug has been called by God to be a pastor since he was a teenager. And that is all he ever did until 3 years ago when our church plant lost its funding and had to close its doors. Since then he has been stuck with cleaning and repairing pools full time. Pastoring fulfills Doug and we both know that we need to be obedient to whatever it is the Lord calls us to do. And I honestly think we might be being called to Louisiana. Since our church closed its doors Doug has really been interested in the home church movement and small group development. He reads about it and is constantly saying what he would do if he was in charge of small groups. Guess what the job in Baton Rouge is for... to develop small groups all throughout the region! Plus Doug has always dreamed of working for the convention (the governing board for a denomination) and this job is through the convention! It would be amazing for him to get this job!
Please be praying for us as we visit Louisiana. Pray for Doug's interview to go well and that if we are meant to move there that he would get the job and that we would have peace about it. Pray for our family and friends who do not want us to move that they would be comforted.
I need to get back to packing but I thought I might leave you with some facts about Baton Rouge:
POPULATION: Baton Rouge City estimated at 229,503 people
SIZE: Baton Rouge 76.231 square miles
MEDIAN INCOME: $44,286
NAME: In french Baton Rouge means "Tall Red Pole"
WEATHER: The average annual temperature in East Baton Rouge Parish is 70 degrees. In January, the average temperature is 70, in July 80 degrees. Annual average rainfall is 77.64 inches — a little more than 6 feet. (YUCK!)
State Flower: Magnolia
State Flag:
Diversity:The racial makeup of the city was 50.02% African American, 45.70% White, 0.18% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
