Creekbank Blog

“Man, those fried grasshoppers are crunchy.” A word from Curt Chad. It’s a country. It’s called “The Dead Heart of Africa.”   That’s due to its location.  But it’s also due to the condition of the country.  Chad is a difficult place.  Hot.  Dusty.  Strongly Islamic.  Seemingly always on the edge of trouble. But after a month in Chad, we …

Thoughts from a Foolish Chapter: Proverbs 26    “Never argue with a fool.  Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference “ –Mark Twain* Wisdom from Proverbs on Fools . . .     On the surface it appears contradictory.  One Proverb says to ignore fools and their foolish words.  The following advises a retort. Proverbs 26:4-5 NASB 4   …

  A Prophet has no Honor in Dry Creek   From The Old House by Curt Iles Copyright 2002            This story is nearly too good to be true, but it actually is.The funniest things in life are not fictitious, but real events that take place all around us.  My next-door neighbors in Dry Creek are Mark …

  Elmer’s Open Hand I’m here in the dead heart of Africa.  It’s a country we’re calling (for now) “Dido.” DeDe and I have been here nearly a month and I’ve thought about Elmer Conner daily. Elmer Conner was one of my Lake Charles (Louisiana) heroes. A spiritual mentor and encourager during my years at Dry Creek Camp.   He …

Epilogue: Why I Write:   “If you’re able to quit writing, you probably should.” -Cec Murphey   “A writer is someone who wrote today.” I write for the simple joy of expression. I have fifty-one journals that I’ve filled with stories, dreams, ideas, and the journey of my life since age seventeen. If I never published another single word, I’d …

Greetings from Lizard City I was taught by my Louisiana great grandmother, Dosia Iles, “Baby, don’t ever hurt a lizard.”   Africa, like our Dry Creek Old House, is a place where lizards abound.   A word from Curt Actually, three words: 1. Curiosity 2. Wow! 3. Share We’re in a different part of Africa.  So different from the countries …

Enjoy an audio podcast of this story. One of the Best Nights of My Life                                                                                                             I pull into Dry Creek Camp at 10:00 P.M.    Normally I would be going home at this time, but tonight my night is just beginning.   Sitting in his white GMC truck, John Bohacek waits for me.   John, or “Mr. Bo” as he is …

Bobby’s Best Catch:  Some would argue that it was his game-ending catch in the seventh game of the 1962 World Series. I beg to differ.   Thursday, 29 January As you read this, DeDe and I are traveling to a new African country. We’ll be there for most of the month. How to pray for us this month: Pray for …

It’d be a shame to have a boring life. Or a boring job. One of my themes for this year is: 1. Be Curious. 2. Be Wowed! 3. Tell about it. Here are a few photos and words about our week. All I can is “Wow!”  We are so privileged to be among the amazing folks we work with and …

    Prayer is like oxygen.  We must have it or die. That’s so true for those of us who live on the edge in Africa. We cannot go unless folks like you are praying. We thank you for “holding the rope” in prayer. We beg you to continue. Here are our major prayer needs for this week: 1. We …

  1. Be Curious 2. Say “Wow!” 3. Tell Stories Those three things are what I mostly do in Africa. I’m a storyteller. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. I have a very serious job here in the Chadan cluster. DeDe and I are focused on our Big Three jobs for this year: 1. Getting God’s Word into …

Lifting the Barn. Together we can do it. Even if you skip today’s post, don’t miss this video of several hundred people moving a barn in Nebraska. http://youtu.be/o83W0gj_CRE is my favorite “Pamoja” story: Herman Ostry’s barn floor was under twenty-nine inches of water because of a rising creek. The Bruno, Nebraska farmer invited a few friends to a “barn raising.” …

Please use the share button(s) above so others can pray for our Chadan Team. It’s Sunday morning in America. We’re nine hours ahead of CST, so it’s Sunday evening. Prayer is like oxygen.  We must have it. It’s not an option in Africa. We must know you are “holding the rope” in prayer.  Our Big Four Prayer needs for the …

If you enjoy today’s post, please share it with your friends.   It’s Saturday. That means it’s picture day. There’s purpose in this: every picture does tell a story. And a picture is worth a thousand words. In fact, in Africa, it may be ten thousand. Here are photos from this past week as well as our sojourn in America. …