who is this wonder boy?

ryan vaughn is just a friend of a friend to me - the name i know, the person i don't. i think we sat at the same table once in a college station restaurant with mutual friends. i've sat in his apartment and listened to him talk of God and music, but he wasn't talking to me. we also worked at the same coffee shop where again i would hear him talking - to whom i'm not sure, since again it wasn't directed towards me. this leads me to think that he talks to everyone, knowing someone will listen. and people do, or at least i did...and still do - click on his link to the right and you'll know why.

more pico pictures

Another beautiful sunrise shot.

We were drenched with sweat by the time we reached the peak, so this is a shot of me and my friend, Jessica, stripping down to put dry clothes on. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Isn't this a rad photo of the wind-whipped Dominican flag? Props to Lynae and her photography skills.

pictures of pico

That's me at the highest point in the West Indies!! It was around 40 degrees when we arrived at the peak.

Taking a break on the trail to elevate our throbbing feet.

Most of the trail looked much like this due to the forest fires earlier this year.

Halfway thru the week and we were still smiling...little did we know that the hellacious 5 hours down hill to valley camp was around the next bend!

happy birthday, mom

i'd like to give a shout out to my mom for her 53rd birthday. for raising and homeschooling 4 children - making sure that we learned how to make good friends, public speak, cook, do laundry, balance bank accounts, and find a job by the time we were 10....ok maybe 12. for being firm and compassionate - spanking us and then hugging us. for having biblical answers and living as a godly example of a true disciple of Christ. for proof-reading my college papers at midnight the night before they were due. for not getting upset when i got D's. for just smiling at whatever piercings i came home with. for taking me out for a drink when i turned 21. for helping me with my resume and job-hunting. for supporting my passion to travel and do missions even though it takes me far from home. for loving God, Dad, us, and ministry - sometimes even dropping whatever you're doing if Erin or i call you at work crisising over a low bank account balance or an important event that we don't have a dress for....or just taking us out to lunch if we're having a bad day. for feeding whoever walks thru the door and housing international students or our friends that don't have money for rent. i love that you're strong, kind, humble, generous, and hard working. i'm so thankful for you as my mom and friend. i love you. happy birthday!!!

on the go

just returned from a very needed 3 day. i left in a tizzy over work, money, student loans, and life in general. i've returned with more clarity, peace of mind and bruises - my r&r included archery, tennis, volleyball, and windsurfing (all of which i suck at). i've hardly slept in my own bed in the past two weeks. i will leave again tomorrow with our house for a 2 day service project to an orphanage and haitian village in Sosua. this is going to be a rad chance for the girls to see sickness and poverty. i've been teaching a cultural awareness group class this summer - trying to shake them up to how ignorant americans are to other cultures and their societal turmoil. please pray for our girls - that God would stretch their hearts and minds to grasp more than themselves.

play hard and pamper afterwards

After hiking 7 hours up to peak camp, a few of us woke up at 3:30 the next morning to hike to the summit of Pico Duarte to see the sunrise. It was a very painful and awesome trip. The trek was intense, but the river bathing, berry picking, sleeping outside, devos, and quality time made for an incredible 5 days. I'll try to post more pictures later. Thank you for your prayers! I'm off with some friends to pamper ourselves for three days at the beach!

pico duarte

we leave tomorrow for our 5 day hike up and down pico duarte. i've been looking forward to this since i came here. the only thing i'm nervous about is that i don't own any hiking boots! this past week has afforded more quality time with my girls than i've had in a while. i was able to talk one-on-one with several of them and share the gospel with one. i'm praying, and ask that you also would pray for me and our staff this week as we have lots of time to pour into our students.

my mug

besides a few pictures of my niece i have very little memorabilia from my texas life down here. however, when i visited A&M over vacation i splurged and bought a maroon coffee mug that says HOWDY. i was a 2%-er my whole 3 years there, but i swear every morning when i use it i get a little aggie spirit, sense of home stirring up in me.

human rights watch

the states' independence is the last thing on my mind today. i've been doing research all morning for the group class i'm teaching this summer over cultural awareness. i've spent a few hours reading testimonies and reports off the human rights watch site. i've cried several times, especially over the childrens rights stories. i love living in another country and regularly being exposed to poverty, but the death and abuse stats from russia, africa, and the middle east are startling in comparison to what i hear and see here in the DR. it's a good wake up call to how ignorant and privileged we are as americans. celebrate your freedom by checking out the bondage of others.

dreams and lack thereof

i always feel dumb not knowing what to write for a new post. i think people must get bored if i just write about daily happenings, but then if i were to share all the deep churning thoughts that swarm thru my head i'd come across as unstable. like who of y'all really care that i jump in the pool at least once (sometimes up to three times) a day to prevent heat exhaustion? or does it fascinate anyone that i got a white-trash pedicure with palm tree doodles painted on my toes? and then i feel too light-hearted and young to freely share with the internet world that i'm frightened by the fact that i have no clue where my life is going or where i'll be this time next year. how is it that i don't know what i want? i've always been so focused and driven, accomplishing the goals i've had thus far. but now that i've done so much of what i've wanted to do....what do i want to do now? i want to want something - not just settling for what's available or something "better" if i were faced with two options. not just going back to school because i don't know what else to do. i have lots of life long dreams. but say i finally do have the $ to go for a hot air balloon ride or sail around the world for a year - then what? where do you get life long dreams if you haven't dreamed anything yet?