As our departure for Uganda nears (27 days), we are increasingly asked if we feel like we will be safe in Africa. We are also asked about how our kids will do in a third-world country. In fact, during our visit to Santa Rosa last week, one of our dear friends at my parents’...
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Monthly Archives: December 2011
Adopting (In) Uganda
Pepperdine first became involved in Uganda in 2006 when Bob Goff invited two of our students to join him for a conference he was hosting for the Ugandan judiciary. On this trip, these two students (Matt Kraus and Lizz Alvarez) learned that unlike their US counterparts, Ugandan judges do not have law clerks (recent...
Blown Away By Generosity
I have been blessed over the course of my twelve years at Pepperdine to have a front-row seat to numerous selfless acts of kindness by my students. About seven years ago, one of my students was struggling to meet the minimum GPA necessary to graduate. He had one semester left and needed to have...
Transitions
In March of 2005, Dean Ken Starr asked me to join Pepperdine Law’s administrative team for a two-year term as the law school’s inaugural Associate Dean for Student Life (Dean of Students). After nearly seven years in this position, today was my last day in the Deans’ Suite. After I return from my African...
Fingerprints
There is a rather famous story about footprints in the sand, and how during our most difficult times God carries us. But my time in Africa has gotten me thinking quite a bit about fingerprints. Scientists tell us that everyone has different fingerprints, and law enforcement officials tell us that most hard surfaces we...
They Both Used Knives
The day began with Bob Goff leaving San Diego at 2:00 a.m. on his way to Cedars Sinai Hospital. Bob had convinced nearly everyone involved to allow him to scrub up and assist with the operation, but alas, he couldn’t get past the hospital’s final line of defense – the lawyers. Lawyers too often...
A Year Later
After moving cities, going to the suicide funeral of a middle school friend, preparing to leave the country, and truly learning the meaning of “miscommunication,” I know that God is good. Usually not in the ways that I expect or even want, but God is good. God was good when I sat in my...
Tests
I feel like I have been surrounded by tests these past few weeks. My former students recently received bar exam results, the vast majority of whom passed this intense test and will soon be admitted into the practice of law. On Saturday, my oldest daughter Jessica took the SAT and hopes to receive a...
The Power
I tried to call Henry this week on Thursday at the scheduled time, but could not get through. While unusual, this occasionally happens due to cell phone network problems on the Ugandan end of things. I sent him a text via Skype telling him that I would try again the next morning. On Friday,...
Joshua’s First Post
Hi there everybody. I decided that it is time for me to start blogging. Recently, everyone has been asking about how I feel about going to Uganda. For the record, I haven’t for a second had any reservations about moving to Africa. I was thinking tonight on my way home from bible class about...