The Clarks Buy Their Dream Home

Katie and Travis Clark moved from New Jersey to the Knoxville area last March, and they have been living in an apartment since they arrived. With help from their real estate agent, Zach Bates, they have officially purchased what they call their dream home. You can see some quick glimpses of the house in their latest YouTube video.

Why are the Clarks Moving?

Have you heard Katie and Travis Clark's big news? They are moving to East Tennessee! We posted the announcement last month. Many have guessed that they are leaving New Jersey because Katie is homesick for her family, but that's actually not the reason. Travis wants to be more dedicated to his music career, and in order to spend more time in Nashville, it makes sense to live in Tennessee. 

Katie and Travis still want to be close to family, though, so they are renting a two bedroom apartment in the Knoxville area, with the idea that Travis will commute to Music City. You can hear more about the couple's plans in their latest YouTube video.

Bates' Classmate Missing in Knoxville

We hope you all had a fantastic weekend, whether you watched the Super Bowl or spent your Sunday doing other things. Yesterday, we received troubling news about a student at Crown College, the school that many of the Bates siblings either attend or have attended. We ask you to join us in earnet prayer.

Blake Smith, a 20-year-old student at Crown, has been missing since Saturday afternoon, when he was last seen leaving work. From there, he returned to his dorm room for a short time and then headed out to Admiral Farragut Park, where his parents say he was likely taking a hike. Blake posted a photo of the Tennessee River to his social media page, making that his last known location.

Later, his car, cell phone, and some of his belongings were found at a construction site in Blount County, where Zach Bates attended the police training academy.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Blake's family suspects foul play. A missing persons Facebook page has been created to provide updates. Those with any information should contact the Knoxville police at 865-215-7000.

'Shakeups, Steak, and Showtime' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Shakeups, Steak, and Showtime!"

• Lawson is thrilled to receive a bunch of copies of his new CD. “When you finally get a mastered product on a disk, that’s something special, and being able to bring it in and show the family, it’s a really cool moment,” says the budding country musician. “When the boxes showed up at the door, I was just praising the Lord.”
• Lawson is preparing for a big charity concert in Knoxville benefiting the East Tennessee Children’s hospital.
• Zach and Whitney drop Bradley and Kaci off at the family’s house so they can go on a dinner date. It’s their first time eating at Ye Olde Steak House, the restaurant where Gil and Kelly used to order celebratory meals from when they had a baby.
• The “little” Bates couple will soon celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary. Zach has recently switched from night shifts to day shifts. Bradley always waits eagerly by the door for his dad to come home.
• “Do you remember though when we first got married and you asked me if you could be a cop?” Whitney asks Zach. “I was like, ‘No, you can’t be a cop; no way.’ Now I can’t imagine you doing anything different.”
• “I’m loving my job, but more than anything, I love having a family,” shares Zach.
• Emily Ann Roberts is unable to make it to the charity concert, so Lawson asks Carlin to sing Emily Ann's parts. Carlin says there is no way she can fill Emily Ann’s shoes, but Lawson believes in her.
• It’s the evening of the show, and the music is scheduled to start in 45 minutes. The computer system goes down, and the family members and friend who are helping are having difficulty scanning the tickets.
• “There was a little bit of confusion,” says Kelly. “A little bit of confusion?” responds Gil. “Maybe a lot of confusion,” corrects Kelly.
• The show finally starts, and the fans are hyped up. Lawson is disappointed when he forgets the words to one of his songs, but he quickly moves past it. “Mess-ups happen, but taking it light and watching people’s reactions, making sure they’re enjoying themselves, I think is a lot more important than perfection,” says Lawson.
• Lawson and Carlin’s “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” duet ends up sounding great.
• At the end of the concert, Lawson brings AJ and two other kids from the children’s hospital up on stage to sing “Jesus Loves Me.”
• “Here are little kids that are very sick,” says proud father Gil. “They have been through some of the hardest times in life, and yet, they’re there to sing a song to encourage us. It was a moving moment.”
• “I can’t even begin to say how proud I was of Lawson,” says Zach. “The hardest person in the world to impress is your big brother, and Lawson has impressed me above and beyond.”