Hey everyone, this is Joe Carter from Panton, Vt!  I can't believe that I am finally getting around to writing this bio--my excuse is that I have been in Europe and the connections are crazy here.  So first off, I've been looking through people's bios and you all sound pretty down to earth and it will be cool to meet all of you, I can't wait.

   Well, about me.  I am a very active and impulsive person and I will compete with you at just about anything, with the exception of eating things I hate like eating mayonaise (it's disgusting).  I play mad basketball, I have run Cross country and indoor/outdoor track for seven years straight (indoor is the worst though), I have gone on two ten day mission trips to Bolivia and Louisiana and they were life changing, I currently attend RIT and just switched my major to something that isn't electrical engineering, and I am 19 years old with two younger brothers and an older sister.

   God has really inspired me through many events in my life to live my religion and help people as much as I can.  It seems as if every time I become stagnant or rebel in my walk he lets me know it somehow.  For example, there was a phase in my life where I was letting sports get to my head so he took them away for a few months and although it was an awful experience (I now have bolts and screws and metal on my femur) I came away from the experience closer to God and stronger in athletics.  My trip to Bolivia where I spent time with street children at midnight, conducted plays, taught basketball to the shoeshiners, built a church, and made so many connections with amazing people has stuck with and become a part of me.  This, combined with my disaster relief work in Louisiana, has formed a flame in my heart that I couldn't get away from even with the fun times at college.  I'm leaving lots of things behind by going on this mission trip for nine months but I just need to know now if this burning sensation is telling me what God wants with my life!

   I'm looking forward to good times---