Happy Birthday Valerie!!

Today is my best friend's birthday, and although i couldn't be happier living in Haiti, i really do wish i could be there to celebrate with her today as she turns 25.  Her and i have been through so much together.  I remember when her and I met on our first day at Biola University in 2003, and ever since then we've remained the closest of friends even though much of our friendship has been long distance.  It really is strange how we have  been called to different parts of the world for so much of our friendship.  Despite all of that, she is one of my dearest friends ever, and I really thank God for her.  We have gone through everything together, and now it's another year that has passed by.  I can hardly believe it.  I love her so much, and feel so blessed by her friendship, her spiritual encouragement, her caring heart, her pure joy in the Lord, her great love for her husband, her loyalty to friends, her love for her family, her contagious laugh, and her never ending love for all she comes in contact with.  Thank you Val for being such an amazing friend.  Happy Birthday!!

Our Little Daphne

Do they get any cuter than this? Seriously, she has the personality of a 20-year old and an attitude to boot, but she is SUCH a little bundle of joy and so much fun to be with.  Nobody can get enough of her!  She is one of our true orphans, with no parents to claim her, but praise God she is in our orphanage and receives tons of love by all of us daily.

Road Trip to San Francisco

Photo below taken by Nate Ritter

Below: The Painted Ladies

Driving down the PCH...

From bonnets to high heels...

Isn't it funny how things can change so drastically over time? When once I wanted nothing more than to wear bonnets and prairie dresses and have tea parties with my dolls, now i'm in love with going downtown in my cute high heels and painting the town red with my friends =) And one of my favorite people to do this with is my very own cousin Tilly (and Nate, but i don't think he's a big fan of the wearing high heels part!). Instead of being in completely different phases of our lives (i.e. the bonnets), as we have always been up until now, we're now able to enjoy the same things such as going to horse races and having no clue how to bet on the horses, going on road trips to Hawaii (okay maybe not this, but still, it was a good thought ;-), sing in our band "Tilly and the Deuster Streudels," throw rooftop bar birthday parties for each other, eat too much cheese, run 5K's together, stay up all hours of the night playing Tetris, Wii & Cranium, dance our famous "worldwide dance" on the beach, drink pomegrate martinis, use abbreves 24/7 and know exactly what we're talking about, i could go on... Anyway, one of the coolest thing about it all is that Nate, Tilly and i have become the greatest of friends in the whole process of living down here in San Diego together. I'm really going to miss them...

Iron Girl 10K Run

Within the first month of moving down to San Diego in 2007, i decided to fulfill one of my dreams by running a 10K (i'd love to run a 1/2 marathon in the near future). I signed up for the Iron Girl run along Solana Beach, which, let's face it, you can't go wrong running along the beach... It was everything i had hoped for. i made it a point to run it every year since then, so just last Sunday i ran it for the 3rd time, and this time i ran the entire time which i was super proud of =) Though i got a completely late start (i was one of the last to begin!) and the mile markers were all confusing so i never actually knew which mile i was on, it was so rewarding to run it again!

Tieman's Fusion Coffee - So Tasty!

Tieman’s Coffee. Seriously the best, and super healthy! Check it out!

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Blue Ribbon Against Child Abuse

This poem is so sad and moving... I am but three, My eyes are swollen I cannot see, I must be stupid, I must be bad, What else could have made My daddy so mad? I wish I were better, I wish I weren't ugly, Then maybe my Mommy Would still want to hug me. I can't speak at all, I can't do a wrong Or else I'm locked up All the day long. When I awake I'm all alone The house is dark My folks aren't home. When my Mommy does come I'll try and be nice, So maybe I'll get just One whipping tonight. Don't make a sound! I just heard a car My daddy is back From Charlie's Bar. I hear him curse My name he calls I press myself Against the wall. I try and hide From his evil eyes I'm so afraid now I'm starting to cry. He finds me weeping He shouts ugly words, He says its my fault That he suffers at work. He slaps me and hits me And yells at me more, I finally get free And I run for the door. He's already locked it And I start to bawl, He takes me and throws me Against the hard wall. I fall to the floor With my bones nearly broken, And my daddy continues With more bad words spoken. "I'm sorry!" I scream But its now much too late His face has been twisted Into unimaginable hate. The hurt and the pain Again and again Oh please God, have mercy! Oh please let it end! And he finally stops And heads for the door, While I lay there motionless Sprawled on the floor. My name is Sarah And I am but three, Tonight my daddy Murdered me.

My Favorite Trail in San Diego

Photos below taken with my Nikon D70 SLR Digital Camera

A Fabulous Weekend

This past weekend i was able to spend some much needed time with my wonderful friend Valerie and her husband Phil up in Camarillo! Her and i took advantage of the little time that we had together by doing what we do best: shopping! We bought matching work-out shorts and rings (as pictured below) and sported them as we dominated on the tennis courts later that evening.
Thank you V for such a fabulous weekend!

Give Me Your Eyes...

"Give me your eyes"
by Brandon Heath

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Haiti for me is...

^{Isaiah 58: 6-11}

⁶ Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness ^a]">[a] will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

¹¹ The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

To view all my photos, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/verburg

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

I feel as if I have left my heart in Haiti...again.