Meet the... Us!

Hello Ladies… ha ha no but really, Hello to all you new 3000 Miles Home blog disciples.  My name is Joshua McKinnon Clemmons and I thought I’d use my words and tell y'all a little about myself.  As you can tell from my colloquial use of the word y'all, sometimes I like to fancy myself a mountain man.  I was born deep in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina and I don’t care where I go in this world that will always be my favorite place.  I have carefully cultivated my mountain man image as I have traveled to NC State University where I am going to be a senior in the fall in Biological and Agricultural Engineering.  I enjoy what I’m studying but I am really interested in sustainable development, and more specifically in the agricultural side of sustainable development so… I am going to have to go to graduate school to get a degree that I’ll actually use.  But hey, what’s better than four years of college?  That’s right, six years of college!  Anyway, enough about school.  I, along with most of my co-patriots attend Grace Community Church where I am most involved with the Worship Team as a band leader, and in the homegroup that has been tentatively called “The Zombie Huggers.”  I would call my faith in Jesus Christ the most defining characteristic about me and I’m blessed that in my faith I can truly call of the guys on this trip my brothers.  Aside from church stuff I enjoy reading, video games, sports, and most of all outdoor activities.  I grew up camping, hunting, and fishing, and later in my life I have picked up backpacking as well.  This trip is right up my alley and I can’t wait to see more of this amazing country.  I hope that you all will continue to follow us as we travel and we’ll do our best to do things that are blogworthy.  God Bless.

 Hey everyone, So for those of you who don't know me, my name is Keegan Hugh Rice.  I was born a missionary kid on the great island of Koror, Palau and as to who I am, well I will try my best to let you in on that secret ;). I lived in the great state of Ohio for about 9 years and am a huge fan of the OSU Buckeyes. I love quotes, I love all kinds of sports (except baseball), and doing anything active. I am somewhat of a goofball and tell the lamest, corniest, and wittiest  (in my opinion) jokes you have ever heard.  I do love a good pun and a bad one. I have the worst grammar and spelling of anyone I know (I am trying really hard right now). The most important characteristic of who I am comes from who I serve.  Paul, an Apostle of Christ, often opened his letters with something along the lines of "Paul a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ" and as such that is how I wish to be known. So to say who I am you have to look to whom I serve and love the most (the a fore mentioned Christ). I am super stoked about this trip and about spending time with some really awesome men of God and seeing the U.S. and I am glad you guys will be sharing in the experience with us.

  My name is Dan Snyder, and contrary to the belief of some, I am not and never will be a genius. I just happen to have been given a talent and motivation for applying myself in school and retaining information, which has unfortunately come to characterize my personality for some of those around me.  And they are right that much of my life is defined by my occupation as a third-year student at NC State University studying Biological (Ecological) Engineering. But however large a part of my life academics has become, I first and foremost want to be known as one who is loved by God and one who loves God in return. I want to be known as a guy who loves the church and is striving to grow into the image of Christ. I want to be known as the proud native of Waynesville, North Carolina (my favorite place on Earth) that I am,  and something of a mountain man at heart who loves campfires and walks in the woods and sleeping on the ground and the feel of the wind on my face as I stand on the summit of a mountain. I don’t want to be known primarily as an accomplished individual but as the member of a community that is larger than myself…or communities really, from the Body of Christ worldwide to the Vine of the Mountains church in Waynesville to Vintage21 Church in Raleigh. I want to be known as someone who takes joy in the beauty that God has placed around me: the awesome friends around me made in His image, the created natural world, and the music that I have learned to both make (using a piano or flute) and listen to.

As those of you who know me are aware, I have not yet lived up to this reputation in a lot of ways. In fact, I have a lot of issues that keep me from loving God fully or giving myself completely to a community or taking joy in God’s creation. But maybe that’s part of the point, too – that God’s love for me in the face of my brokenness is a chance to show that His infinite Grace covers all things, pointing to the Glory that is always His.

So as I alluded to above, I love going camping and hiking, and I love traveling to new and awesome places. I also love spending time in solitude in the wilderness, and I can entertain myself for a very long time without getting bored (reading, playing video games, journaling). All of these things happen to be what we’re doing on this trip, so I am super-crazy-ridiculously excited to go on this trip with my brothers, and hopefully become a bit more adventurous and ready to live life to the fullest when we return!

Born second son to a pastor, Stephen Minervino is my name. I am the northerner. I was raised on the coast of Massachusetts, the salt of the sea wind whipping through my hair, the forest my kingdom, the marshes my adventure. With the timeless trees and deep green of the sea as my companions, there is a deeply rooted wonder at the creation I see around me. Pouring through any National Geographic I could find I longed for adventure, for travel. That wanderlust has stuck with me all my nigh on 20 years.  As the only non-engineer in the group, I feel it is my mission to keep the rest of this motley crew from blowing themselves off of the face of the earth without at least being poetic about it. Anyways, an all about me area allows an ample allotment for anecdotes, but believe me, beyond backstory and banter belief in Christ compels and controls my comportment. He decides my destiny, directing me evermore elegantly. Either way, I endeavor to fling flipped frowns forthwith, facilitating felicity for my fellows, for fighting and finagling grates on a great group. To sum things up, I believe that all things must be centered on Christ. My everything for His name. Now onward! Forward! Unfailing, unfaltering we fight for the Founder of our faith. This is going to be an incredible journey.

Hey folks. My name is David Johnson. I don't really have a lot to say, because I should be studying right now. Haha. I did a lot of traveling when I was a child. My dad was in the military and we lived in Germany for 6 years. I've been all across western Europe, including France, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and England. I even saw the coffee shop where J. K. Rowling wrote the first couple of Harry Potter books. Sadly, she wasn't working on number four at the time :) This was all a great experience but when I came back Stateside, I realized that I had no traveling experiences in the US. I'd been as far west as the Mississippi, and that was only to see family.

I read "Wild at Heart" last year, and ever since finishing it, I realized that I had not been living the Adventurous and Thrilling life that God had planned for me. School and just a general lack of motivation, not to mention lack of funds made that impossible at the time. Well now the time is getting short, so before plunging headlong into the life of bills and 9-5 employment, I'm giving it one last shot. America, here I come!

And who knows, maybe I'll bag an awesome job while in the Silicon valley. ;)