EXHIBIT 99.9

            [LETTERHEAD OF ACADIANA BANCSHARES, INC. APPEARS HERE]

                               January 10, 2003

To: Participants in the 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

   As described in the attached materials, your proxy as a stockholder of
Acadiana Bancshares, Inc. (the "Company") is being solicited in connection with
the proposals to be considered at the Company's upcoming Special Meeting of
Stockholders. We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to direct the
manner in which shares of common stock of the Company allocated to your account
under the 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan (the "401(k) Plan") will be voted.

   Enclosed with this letter is the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which describes
the matters to be voted upon, a voting instruction ballot, which will permit
you to vote the shares allocated to your account, and a return envelope. After
you have reviewed the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, we urge you to vote your
shares held pursuant to the 401(k) Plan by marking, dating, signing and
returning the enclosed voting instruction ballot to the plan administrators in
the accompanying envelope.

   We urge each of you to vote, as a means of participating in the governance
of the affairs of the Company. If your voting instructions for the 401(k) Plan
are not received, the shares allocated to your account pursuant to this plan
will not be voted. While I hope that you will vote in the manner recommended by
the Board of Directors, the most important thing is that you vote in whatever
manner you deem appropriate. Please take a moment to do so.

   Please note that the enclosed material relates only to those shares which
have been allocated to your account under the 401(k) Plan. You should receive
other voting material for those shares owned by you individually and not under
the 401(k) Plan.

                                          Sincerely,

                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Jerry Reaux
                                          Chairman of the Board,
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer