I have gotten private emails from people asking where is Montana and how could anyone in there right mind live there. And don't I want to leave. I just laugh, for Montana is one of the most beautiful states in the country. And I assure you I am extremely happy and pray the Bishop will allow me to stay in Montana a long time!! My town is situated in a valley completely surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, I look our of my living room window and I see the mountains! There are 4 national forests within 15 minutes and Yellowstone National Park is one hour away. Please go to our church web site for pictures www.forministry.com/59715spcac then click on visit Montana. I hope some of you will consider Montana as a vacation spot.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Answers

I could live in Montana, or anywhere else in the west except California, Portland, or Seattle. Western states (away from large cities) are big on individual liberties, which goes well with my libertarian tendencies. Like many westerners, I don't like outsiders telling me how to live. I'll let God and my wife do that.

In the west there's elbow room, natural beauty, lower taxes, property ownership, hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, gun ownership, agriculture, ranching, rodeo...can't beat it.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Well RP when are you moving out here? Yes there are guns in Montana, but that is because there is so much hunting. In the ten years that I have lived in my town, I do not recall one murder. By the way RP the A.M.E Church has been in Montana since the mid 1800's.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

The west is BIG. What do you think of when you say, "northwest"? What about "southwest"? I like them both, but there are times the climate can be quite disagreeable in either one.

I think I'll do the snowbird thing. I'll get a big RV and move between Montana and New Mexico every 6 months.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

I have never been to the southwest, though my daughter and I will be going to our fifth district mid year convocation in arizona in march. I live in a town that is a ski resort town. So we usually have snow 9 months out of the year. We have been known to have a blizzard on the fourth of July! I do not ski, but I snowhoe and I have a snowshoe club with 100 members in it. People laughed at me when I started the club four years ago, because this is a ski area. I just got tired of falling off my skiis! To live in Montana around my area you have to like snow and yes it does get cold. We usually have an arctic cold snap the first few weeks of January where it can get to 20 below zero. It doesn't stop us, you just bundle up and get in your car. Summers are incredible in Montana we have very low humidity all year long. I find it is colder in New York City than it is where I live in the winter. Since we have such little humidity it does not feel as cold. We get lot's and lot's of sun.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001