Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

Armed and Ready    It’s odd that I’ve been thinking of Sheriff Bolivar Bishop here in Africa. We’ve been immersed in refugee matters for the past months.  Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have been on the move due to fighting within the country between government forces and defected military units. Recently, a Louisiana group of pastors from my home …

  Today’s Saturday Snips is different You’ve heard the cliche: one picture is worth a thousand words. If so, you’re looking at 100,000 words below.  I’ve selected ten photos from our week among refugees in northern Uganda and South Sudan.  We’ll let them speak for themselves. I believe every face and scene will eloquently show you the needs, tears, and …

Heartbroken, yet Encouraged We’re encouraged about the open doors in the refugee camps of South Sudan’s borderlands (Uganda/Kenya/Ethiopia).  At the same time, we’re heartbroken by the brokeness and tragedy we see in the Camps. As the story below illustrates, there are various ways to connect with refugees.  Playing Uno is only one of thousands.  Would you pray about sending a …

  He still doesn’t waste anything In a  weekly Bible study with our guards, we’re walking through the Gospel of Mark. It’s been fun and rewarding.  The guys have taught me so much. This week we’re camping out in Mark 6 and Jesus’  Feeding of the Five Thousand.   I’ve always loved the end of the story.   “And they …

Each Saturday we review our week in Africa.  As you read this, we’re (mostly) out of Internet reach in northern Uganda.  We’re on a survey trip among the refugee camps. Our goal is finding where people are (especially our Unreached Groups from South Sudan) and assessing their needs. Pray for the thousands who are hurting. This is my favourite story …

Underdogs:  A brand new slide I’ve 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 swingset and pushed on it. It was cemented in the ground. …

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. – “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost* Going #UpCountry (Again)   “Up Country” is what folks here call northern Uganda. It’s a wild, open, and fascinating part of Africa. Right now, thousands of South Sudanese have come …

Scroll down to see our current prayer needs. Heartbroken . . . but still in love You remember her (0r him).  That person you fell in love with as  a teenager. And I bet you remember how it felt when he/she jilted you. It was heart-breaking.  And I bet if you’re honest, you feel a twinge in your soul when …

Back home, we have trouble with dogs and coons in trash cans. Over here, it’s monkeys. We are currently headed home from NW Uganda. I’ve scheduled this post ahead of time. Thank you for praying for our trip.  I cannot wait to get home and share new stories with you. Gratefully, Curt   It’s the truth. A mission trip to …

  6 Things Africa has taught me as a Writer  “The shortest distance between the truth and a human heart is a story.” -Anthony DeMello This week my wife DeDe and I celebrate a year in Africa. Often times I look around and think of how far I am  from my Louisiana piney woods roots.  It’s been an eventful year …

  Five American friends are traveling with us today to Northern Uganda. The photo above is probably my favourite spot in Africa.  When you cross the Nile at Karuma Falls, you enter a completely different part of Uganda.  Folks call it “Up Country” and during the LRA years it was avoided at all costs. I can’t wait to show the …

It’s one of my favourite things in Africa. Greeting and meeting. Meeting friends and family at the Entebbe (Uganda) airport.  We live about 5 km from the terminal and love meeting folks and family there. They say that Henry Morton Stanley struggled on what he would say when (and if) he found David Livingstone.  Legend records it as, “Dr. Livingstone, …

These are snippets of our work and life in Africa.

We’re sharing information on our country of South Sudan. Although we live in Entebbe, Uganda, South Sudan is our assigned country.  We were due to move there next month, but the current fighting has put that on hold. We are truly heartbroken at what is happening with the country but still desperately in love with the people there.   We’re …