Our Books

Chapter 5 : Henry     I met Henry among the ruins of Lampuuk on our first visit there. It had been over eleven weeks since the tsunami. Henry lived in a tent not far from the only remaining building in Lampuuk: the local Mosque. A handsome twenty-year-old with an infectious smile and wonderful personality, Henry quickly became the favorite …

We’re continuing with excerpts from Hearts across the Water.  This collection is a memoir from the year 2005 and three events that shook the world:  the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I was part of a Louisiana medical team that landed in Indonesia about eighty days after the earthquake/tsunami. Chapter 4 : The Silent City   Our …

  A word from Curt  Over the next month, we’re sharing stories from our 2005 book, Hearts across the Water. This is my fourth short story collection and is set during the two twin hurricanes that struck Louisiana that year. Although the majority of the book deals with the hurricanes, the first part recounts my life-changing trip to post-tsunami Indonesia …

A word from Curt    Over the next month, we’re sharing stories from our 2005 book, Hearts across the Water. This is my fourth short story collection and is set during the two twin hurricanes that struck Louisiana that year. Although the majority of the book deals with the hurricanes, the first part recounts my life-changing trip to post-tsunami Indonesia …

The Wash Spot on Crooked Bayou Hear Curt read this story. The darkness always comes more quickly down in the swamp. I’m always amazed to come out of the dark woods at dusk using a flashlight, and then upon entering the open fields, realize there is still a good deal of daylight left. Deep in the woods, the evening shadows …

  During this season of my life, I’m learning about God’s timing on our Life Road.  It seldom matches ours but is always the best. The story behind this poem is found at the end of post. You can listen to the Audio Podcast read by Curt.   God’s Timing is Always Right God is very seldom early But He’s …

This is the first of my stories to be published.  My sweet Mom sent “A Pair for Life” to Home Life magazine in 1991. (See above). Their decision to publish it was the first step in my realization that maybe someone in addition to family and friends might enjoy my stories. I thought, publishing seems easy.  I have a thick …

Matt Farmer smiled. “It shows what people can get done when they work together.” One of my lifelong heroes and friends, Matt Farmer, will be buried tomorrow in Dry Creek, Louisiana. I have many stories about him. This is my favorite.   Matt Farmer’s Barn   Fall 2005 Hurricane Rita + two weeks   In the middle of our worship …

  Yesterday we shared Chapter 15 from our novel, A Good Place. This part of the novel continues with Chapter 16. Enjoy!   Chapter 16 I THOUGHT about picking Bo up to tote home, but any attempt to move him brought a terrible whimpering, and anyway, he weighed too much for me to carry that far. Leaving him was out …

Lent Lourens, a South African living in Uganda, is a dear friend of ours. Yesterday she had to put down her twelve year old dog. I was reminded of the pain of losing a dog. I thought about this story from our novel,  A Good Place. Male readers often say,  “Curt, I cried when I read that chapter about Bo the …

A note from Uganda:  I’m spending Whippoorwill Day 2015 in Uganda. Lord willing, I’ll be on Crooked Bayou Louisiana for 2016’s Whippoorwill Day. No whippoorwills here but several cousins, including the song of a dusky nightjar each morning and evening. Since today is Whippoorwill Day in Louisiana, I believe you’ll enjoy this story. If you’d enjoy my story,  “Whippoorwill Day” …

Current meeting of South Sudanese leaders, wives, fellow workers and team from Southeastern Seminary. A word from Curt Today, 9000 miles from our part of Africa,  DeDe’s father, Herbert Terry, will be buried in his beloved Harrisonburg, Louisiana. When we returned to Uganda two months ago,  Mr. Herbert told us, “You go on over there and finish the work God …

  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 …

DeDe and I are out of country with limited Internet.  Enjoy today’s “reader’s favorite” from our second book. The Sign Phantom of Dry Creek From the book, The Old House, by Curt Iles Enjoy the Audio Podcast of The Sign Phantom It all began in the Spring of of 1974, just prior to my graduation from high school. A rainy …