Chapter cover: Hero Margaret at her tukul. Alere Refugee Camp, Uganda Header: Margaret holds Maggie Iles This book is filled with the term hero. It’s a medallion-like word reserved for angels and brave men and women. How do you define a hero? That’s why Margaret is a hero. Margaret lost both of her parents in South Sudan’s war. A member …

We’ve got a roof over our heads. And the kids are all fed. And the woman I love most of all Lies close beside me in our bed. Lord, give me the eyes to see Exactly what’s it’s worth And I will be the richest man on earth.” –Paul Overstreet “Richest Man on Earth” Paul Overstreet’s “Richest Man on Earth.” …

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything that looked more out of place. As my grandpa said, “It was like a saddle on a pig.” Brand new shiny playground equipment in the midst of a ragtag barren refugee camp. I walked over to a swing set and pushed on it. It was cemented in the ground. Just as I thought: …

The old man nodded at the dark clouds beyond the mountains. “The rains are coming.” We looked at the mass of South Sudanese refugees. Hundreds of women, pots and dishes in hand, standing in line for their daily allotment of cooked food. A long line of yellow jerry cans stretching to faucets attached to a huge container.                                                                 Water …

 A word from Curt Beeped. It’s part of our daily vocabulary in Africa. I believe you’ll enjoy the tongue in cheek story below.   We’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass, daily. You can download a copy in three ways: Read sample chapters or purchase at Amazon.  You can download the entire book as a PDF at creekbank.net by subscribing to …

            A word from Curt   ~It’s the O word. Orphan. Read more on why it’s such a complicated word in Africa.     We’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass. Read sample chapters or purchase at Amazon.     Gratefully,   Curt Iles   You can subscribe to our monthly Story Letter, here.   …

A word from Curt Reload. It means to rebound. The following story is a humorous look at going into a serious place,  a refugee camp.   We’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass, daily.   You can download a copy in three ways:   Read sample chapters or purchase at Amazon.   You can download the entire book as …

          A word from Curt Found. It’s the opposite of lost. The story below is about the Lost Boys of South Sudan.   We’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass, daily.   You can download a copy in three ways:   Read sample chapters or purchase at Amazon.   You can download the entire book …

            A word from Curt Footing. It’s one of my favorite African verbs.  “I’m footing it.” It means you’re walking, usually out of necessity. It’s the mode of travel for most Africans. On foot. The following story shares how generous giving allows us to get our vehicles to the difficult places from which we can …

    cccc                     A leader leads. You cannot lead without followers. And sometimes a leader must go find his people. His followers. His flock. I want to broach that subject with two of my heroes. You may have heard of one. His name is Fred Luter. You won’t be familiar …

              A word from Curt Homeless. It’s a word we’ve come to fully realize in Africa.  There’s much more to homelessness than just being displaced. For refugees, it signifies the complete loss of all things material. Often, everything but the shirt on your back. Daily, we’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass. If …

We are excited about our new ebook, Trampled Grass.  Scroll down to learn how you can have a copy. A word from Curt Translation. Of all my African regrets, not becoming fluent in any language has been the largest. It has humbled me like nothing else. However, my stumbling around with my tongue has created lots of good stories . …

INTRO   A word from Curt Communication. It’s a good word and part of all of our daily lives.  I believe you’ll enjoy the story below about communicating on the Continent of Africa. Daily, we’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass. If you enjoy the stories, please pass them on. You can download the entire book as a PDF …

INTRO   A word from Curt Marginalized. It’s a word we hear often among refugees.  It’s the feeling that you (and your people group) don’t matter. You’re overlooked. Forgotten. Today’s post is about a group that feels very marginalized. They are called the Murle and they are one of South Sudan’s most interesting tribes. Daily, we’re posting chapters from our …