No really, I'm a peacemaker.

I believe the UN calls this "peace-enforcing."
Pursuing peace by pursuing those who threaten it.

(quote courtesy of Christen Price, gun courtesy of a policeman who should be fired for letting random civilians hold his gun)

Mighty Nile-1, Steph Hall- 0

Raft 30 kilometers on the Nile. check.
Conquer grade 5 rapids. check.
Conquer grade 5 rapids without flipping and swimming down the Nile. not possible.

We had an awesome time. I recommend that everyone hop on a plane, get to Jinja, and raft the Nile immediately.

We're on the road again. This time heading all the way west and eventually into the Congo to participate in a peacemaker training with Congolese judges and attorneys next week. Please, please, please pray for safety as we cross the border on Sunday afternoon.

I can't believe I have less than a week left here, I'm going to miss this place when I leave.

nile nile crocodile

Tomorrow Christen and I are going white water rafting on the Nile river. I would like to say that after spending a night in the bush I am no longer afraid of anything, but that would not be true.

Spending the evening watching videos like this and this was probably a bad idea.

still alive and living life to the fullest

Last night I slept in the bush.

We were heading to Karamoja in the far northeast to visit a village that Peace and Reconciliation Ministries has been working with, and we ended up having even more of an adventure than originally planned. The Karamoja tribe has a well-earned reputation all over Uganda because of their ruthless cattle raiding. The region is reeeally far away from other towns because people don't like to live too close to people who kill them and steal their cows. The village we were visiting is involved in training in agricultural development in an effort to encourage these people to move away from a lifestyle predicated on cattle raiding. It's considered a no-go region by many, but you're pretty much alright as long as you're not traveling with cattle (we weren't).

Because the area is so remote, the roads are not really roads at all. Last night, right around sunset and at least 45 minutes after passing any form of human civilization, our car got stuck in the mud that made up these "roads." After getting out several times and pushing it through some tough spots, it finally became inextricably lodged for the night. We made several calls to see if we could get some help (including a call to the representative of the president of Uganda in the region and the local military commander), but the local military had no vehicle and the roads wouldn't allow us to be reached by motorcycle. So we stayed... in the bush... all night.



In the morning, Dickson walked several miles to some military barracks he knew were somewhere up the road. So 15 hours and 8 able-bodied soldiers later, we were moving!



What could have been a really terrifying and dangerous situation was characterized by peace and a reminder that God is good.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the Shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'
You will not fear the terror of night not the arrow that flies by day.
If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the Lord, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Psalm 91

sadness.

I'm sure most of you have heard about the attacks last night in Kampala. You can read about it here. Two bomb blasts went off in the capital city as people were gathered to watch the world cup. The death toll is now at 74, and the attacks are being claimed by a Somali terrorist group.
I am safe. I am staying about 5 hours away from Kampala in the north, and it is incredibly ironic because for the first time in decades it feels more secure in the north than in Kampala.

I am so sad that this is the headline news coming out of Uganda right now. Over the past few weeks I have had full immersion into all things Uganda and have fallen a little in love with the country.

This country deserves peace.

not quite chik-fil-a

Here is a sampling of a typical Ugandan meal. Most meals (lunch and dinner) consist of some sort of stew (chicken, goat, fish) served with an assortment of starches (potatoes, posho, rice).


The stew is really good, but unfortunately is flavored with the exact same seasonings. every. time.
Posho is kind of like polenta, but not nearly as delicious.
Cassava is similar to potatoes.
Millet is just... bad.

It's pretty decent, and the good news is you can get a meal like that for around 4000 shillings, which is less than 2 dollars. Not bad, but it would be better if there were polynesian sauce on the side.

Happy 4th!

After 2 weeks in Uganda I have a newfound love and appreciation for the wonderful United States of America. I'm still having a really great time here and learning a lot, but today I am really missing home. I can just picture all of the barbecues, fireworks, banana pudding, patriotic sing-a-longs, hamburgers, family and friends.

Some things I am missing in the good 'ole USA:
1. the beach with my parents (they are there now, and I can just picture the white sand, clear blue water, mom reading a good book, and dad staring at the ocean praying for waves.)
2. running water (notice I am not even asking for hot water.)
3. five guys (can you tell I have hamburgers on the mind?)
4. toilets that flush
5. gender equality
6. 8 hour workdays (I will regret this statement one day, I know.)
7. Kevin O'Donnell (and Odie)
8. dishwashers
9. rules of the road
10. American football (sorry World Cup. it's been fun, but it's no Florida Football.)

I think I will stay.

Winston Churchill once referred to Uganda as "the pearl of Africa."



Good call Winston.

life is about choices.

to my law school friends,

i chose to blog instead of work on Fall Recruitment when i had access to internet the past few days. So enjoy, because next summer, when i don't have a job, I will continually remind you of the sacrifice i made for your reading enjoyment. that is all.

steph hall

Yes, my office has a window.

We had an exciting weekend here in Lira. We drove around to several villages way outside the city and received very warm receptions at every stop. I would like to say that the receptions complete with song and dance were for the arrival of the "american lawyers," but that would not be true. Uganda is entering a political season right now in preparation for elections next year, and our fearless leader and host, Dickson Ogwang, is in the running to represent the district in Parliament. Our arrival has been eclipsed by the support he is receiving for this campaign. It's exciting to be able to experience law and politics in Uganda, all in one internship.

We have been staying at a hotel in the city and are officially making the big move tomorrow to our home for the remainder of our time here. We will be living in a village in the bush (seriously), so goodbye reliable internet access. They have been constructing a more modern house in the village for high-maintenance visitors like yours truly, so I won't exactly be living the hut-life but there will be some major adjustments. It will be an experience, but, hey, I'm all in.

some pics of our village:


can you guess which one I'll be staying in?

We had out first real day in the office today and got to start our first case. The primary issues that PRMA handles are land disputes. In a region where boundary lines are determined by ant hills and and mango trees, there are plenty of issues arising. The situation has been aggravated greatly by the recent period of conflict in northern Uganda. Large populations were displaced while fleeing from the violence, and returning and resettling on uncertain territories can create conflicts that threaten to destroy the tenuous peace. PRMA is focused on handling these disputes at the local level through PRMA mediators and PRMA-trained council elders so that the dispute is handled quickly, before violence erupts, and amicably, so that each party is satisfied with the outcome. There is a lot of work to be done, I'd better learn fast.

our office

a shout out from david

meet David, Dickson's son. I met him today and we're already best friends.



he then proceeded to laugh hysterically for 5 minutes and then film himself saying "hi mom and dad" 6 more times. take 1 was definitely the best though.

what a day

how I learned American law:

correction: how I actually learned American law:

how I learned Ugandan law:
-sitting in the back of an SUV
-racing down rough roads at 120 km/hr
(how fast is 120 km/hr?? It feels REALLY fast when you are dodging cars, pedestrians, motorcycles, um, semi-trucks, and random animals...)
-with African gospel music blaring in the background
-and Dickson (my "boss" and host) explaining the Ugandan court system

It was necessary for this lesson to take place in this manner because we were on our way to Gulu, a town a few hours away, to hear the Court of Appeals of Uganda. The Court always takes place in Kampala, but they moved it to Gulu for a short time in order to allow people from northern Uganda to participate in the cases that occurred in their region. We got there in time to hear 3 judgments handed down. We headed into the courtroom and took our seats on the front row. We ended up having to wait an hour before they began (schedules in Africa are VERY loose- even in the courts...). When they called the first case, the man sitting immediately to our right for the past hour stood up and headed to the front. We had no idea that we had been sitting right next to the accused for the past hour, and the cases we heard handed down were murder/death penalty cases. Having never even seen a case of this magnitude in the states and then experiencing it like this was all a little too real.

After that had concluded, Dickson had set up a meeting with the Chief Justice of the Court, so we were able to talk to her one-on-one for a little while about what we're doing here and ask her about her time on the court.


We then made the trip back to Lira dodging all of the same obstacles. in the dark. Since you're reading this blog, it means I lived to tell about it.

Also yesterday, we visited a meeting among local clan leaders gathered under a tree in the bush and were introduced as "lawyers from America who would mediate all their conflicts." No big deal.

the same kind of different

we're here!

We made it! We arrived in Uganda yesterday morning, safe and sound, but jet laaaaged. The country is really beautiful, and I am so excited that I am going to be able to see so much of it. Yesterday we were able to see some of the highlights of Kampala, the capital city, including parliament, the major university of Uganda, and the famous Kasubi tombs. They are a UNESCO World Heritage because of their huge cultural importance, and, sadly, were destroyed by fire back in March. You can read about it here .


My skirt was too scandalous, so I got to accessorize.

We took care of some business in Kampala today and then drove to Lira, our main home for the next 6 weeks. My battery is dying and exhaustion is setting in, so you'll have to stay on the edges of your seats for more details about Lira.

I'm in London

see :)


Just ate a chicken pot pie and drank a pint of Strongbow. Feeling very English.
No Hugh Grant sighting yet. If it occurs, you'll be the first to know.

en route... kind of.

Well, it's here! The day I've been counting down to for months has arrived. We concluded the first portion of the program last night in Phoenix with a closing banquet and raucous karaoke at the bar next door. It was the perfect way to wrap up the past two weeks. The banquet gave us some time to reflect on the amount of knowledge that has been poured into us for the past two weeks (seriously, we had something like 32 sessions from different speakers over the course of two weeks), and it also allowed us a little time to transition into what we will be doing for the next six weeks all over the nation and world. And karaoke afterwards allowed some time to, um, sing really poorly. But at least we were able to do so in the company of new friends.

We also took some time this week for an excursion to Sedona where we took jeep tours, went horseback riding, and spent a day NOT in the conference room at the hotel. Much needed and so much fun.


The past few weeks have been really great and challenging. It's hard to succinctly summarize the reasons why, but I'll try. One thing I have picked up on is that law is not something that exists in a vacuum, but there is a real connection between law and culture, and as such, effectively engaging either requires a big picture perspective on law, history, theology, and people in general. Two weeks experience crammed into a sentence makes for a really long sentence, sorry.

Another thing I have realized is that I feel totally unprepared to begin whatever lies ahead in Uganda. That is probably because I don't entirely know what lies ahead. I started getting anxious until I was reminded that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10). I don't have to be ready, just willing.

So I'm willing, and waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting at the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix after United Airlines decided to delay and cancel flights. But we'll get there... a little later than planned, and this time by way of London. So the next post will be all about Big Ben, fish and chips, and Hugh Grant (yes, these are the things I think of when I think of London). Cheerio until then!


(this is what a bunch of internet-deprived people do when stranded at the airport.)

Hello World

That may sound like a presumptuous greeting to start this blog, but let me explain. I begin with "hello world" not because I think the world will be reading this blog (thank goodness... that would be a lot of pressure to say something witty, charming and deep in every post, and I am certainly not promising THAT), but rather because the world is out there waiting, and my plans this summer are going to launch me out of my comfort zone and into new places where my only response will be to take a deep breath, smile, and greet the unexpected.

Also, hello blog world. This is new to me.

This summer, thanks to a God-thing, a stroke of good luck, or wishing on the right star (but seriously, I'm pretty sure it's a God thing), I have been given the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Uganda working as a legal intern for Peace and Reconciliation Ministries in Africa, an organization pursuing peace in post-conflict areas through bible-based mediation, arbitration and reconciliation.

Where in the world is Uganda ?


The first phase of my trip begins on Sunday as I head to Phoenix, Arizona for two weeks of training, seminars, and lessons relating to the application of Christian principles to my legal studies. From there, another intern and I will pack our bags and begin our adventure with over 36 hours of travel to Lira, Uganda. In Uganda, the customary greeting is "jambo."

Jambo world.