diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/Bridge.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/Bridge.php
index 6108d4e..c4c071f 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/Bridge.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/Bridge.php
@@ -140,7 +140,9 @@ public function fallbackPassword($fallbackPassword) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("Bridge", $this->targetCall);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("Bridge");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->targetCall));
 
         if(isset($this->bridgeCompleteUrl)) {
             $element->setAttribute("bridgeCompleteUrl", $this->bridgeCompleteUrl);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/Conference.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/Conference.php
index b583558..3dae673 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/Conference.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/Conference.php
@@ -140,7 +140,9 @@ public function fallbackPassword($fallbackPassword) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("Conference", $this->conferenceName);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("Conference");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->conferenceName));
 
         if(isset($this->username)) {
             $element->setattribute("username", $this->username);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/PhoneNumber.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/PhoneNumber.php
index e681551..e41a902 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/PhoneNumber.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/PhoneNumber.php
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ public function fallbackPassword($fallbackPassword) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("PhoneNumber", $this->phoneNumber);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("PhoneNumber");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->phoneNumber));
 
         if(isset($this->username)) {
             $element->setAttribute("username", $this->username);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/PlayAudio.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/PlayAudio.php
index 017b76d..a642516 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/PlayAudio.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/PlayAudio.php
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ public function password($password) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("PlayAudio", $this->url);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("PlayAudio");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->url));
 
         if(isset($this->username)) {
             $element->setAttribute("username", $this->username);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php
index 35ede23..ed24d75 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php
@@ -26,11 +26,6 @@ public function __construct() {
      * @param Verb $verb The verb to add to the list
      */
     public function addVerb($verb) {
-        foreach($verb as $key => $value) {  // encodes any verb attributes of type string to avoid php character encoding bug
-            if(gettype($value) == "string") {
-                $verb->$key = htmlspecialchars($value, ENT_XML1, 'UTF-8');
-            }
-        }
         array_push($this->verbs, $verb);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/SendDtmf.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/SendDtmf.php
index 4d42a95..819fcee 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/SendDtmf.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/SendDtmf.php
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ public function toneInterval($toneInterval) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("SendDtmf", $this->digits);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("SendDtmf");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->digits));
 
         if(isset($this->toneDuration)) {
             $element->setattribute("toneDuration", $this->toneDuration);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/SipUri.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/SipUri.php
index 1a6a3dd..f3f9f3b 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/SipUri.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/SipUri.php
@@ -131,7 +131,9 @@ public function fallbackPassword($fallbackPassword) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("SipUri", $this->sip);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("SipUri");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->sip));
 
         if(isset($this->username)) {
             $element->setAttribute("username", $this->username);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/SpeakSentence.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/SpeakSentence.php
index 77155ed..68e3dcb 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/SpeakSentence.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/SpeakSentence.php
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ public function gender($gender) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("SpeakSentence", $this->sentence);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("SpeakSentence");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->sentence));
 
         if(isset($this->locale)) {
             $element->setAttribute("locale", $this->locale);
diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/Tag.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/Tag.php
index bc1343f..f72e4d7 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/Tag.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/Tag.php
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ public function __construct($tag) {
     }
 
     public function toBxml($doc) {
-        $element = $doc->createElement("Tag", $this->tag);
+        $element = $doc->createElement("Tag");
+
+        $element->appendChild($doc->createTextNode($this->tag));
 
         return $element;
     }