Hi! I'm Ashley Brouder and I'm going to be a junior in the teen ministry at North River. I can't believe we're less than one day away from taking off for Trinidad! I just got home from Target (getting last minute travel stuff) and I can officially say I'm counting down the minutes. The preparation for this trip is something I've never experienced before. The first few weeks I felt a sense of employment. As if this trip was a job, and I needed to deepen my knowledge of the Bible so I can be prepared for anything. Then, as I kept finding out who was coming on the trip, a sense of eagerness came. Almost instantly, I dropped the seriousness and became "gitty" because I was going to be traveling with my close brothers and sisters! Finally, when school got out, I think I found the perfect balance of the two. I've been in my Bible, praying, and fasting more than ever and He's blessed me with more faith, love, and trust than ever imagined. I'm now so ready to FULFILL God's plan for this trip, not just DREAM about it!

-Ashley