Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

I’m 8000 miles from my hometown of Dry Creek. This is a draft of a story written four years ago. It’s too good not to share.  Enjoy! Somebody send word to Nathaniel that I said, “Thanks again.” Good Neighbors in Dry Creek Shown above is my neighbor Nathaniel. He proudly stands beside his tractor. I was bushogging yesterday in our fields …

How Firm a Foundation Stirring You Tube video on this song. How Firm a Foundation is my “heart song.”   This classic hymn has played in my heart and mind all week. It is powerful. I hope it ministers and encourages you. 1. How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent …

In our latest Open Hands Africa newsletter, I quote my favorite poem from my best-loved American poet, Robert Frost. I’ll feature it on a future blog as well as my second best-loved poet.  You’ll be surprised. Reminder: Don’t go into the Bush without your light, batteries, and battery-operated fan! Packing Light   “Don’t get on the plane with any regrets.” – …

Stand Your Ground . . . without Driving Yourself (and everyone else ) Crazy. “But Eleazar stood his ground . . .” II Samuel 23:10 A key to a ______ life is knowing when to stand your ground versus saying, “It’s no big deal.” (Help me fill in the blank.) Kampala, Uganda is on edge. The U.S. government shared a …

5 Steps to Engaging an Unreached Unengaged People Group* in South Sudan   Jumbo Baptist Church in South Sudan. This church is planting churches in the neighbouring villages. Engagement is the process where an American church comes alongside churches like Jombu.   1.    Begin praying about an Unreached People Group to pray for.   Our Engagement Team is happy to help …

Tuesday’s Blog:  Remembering and Forgetting     It’s a face only a mother could love. They usually describe Jackson’s Hartebeest as “horse-faced.” That’s not a compliment where I come from. But it’s the most memorable of all of the animals we saw. On our recent game park visit, we saw thousands of animals in western Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park. …

Ground Truthing and Eternity-shaping Decisions   It’s the most difficult par of our job as an Engagement* Team for South Sudan. Which tribes/people groups are truly Unreached?   Whom do we seek to reach first?   What church(s) in America or Africa will commit to stand in the gap for the Unreached Group. Eternal decisions hang in the balance.  Deciding …

Good News from our friends among the K-People: 30 new believers in village close to border. Pray for a healthy church to come out of this.

“Living in fear is just another way Of dying before your time.” -“Shut Up and Get On the Plane.” Drive By Truckers song   I first read the following short story as a teen. It’s still a favorite and very pertinent for the unrest going on in Africa. I’ve added a few comments afterwards. The Appointment in Samarra Years ago …

Saturday Blog 21 Sept 2013 Thanks to all of you who are praying for my health.  I’m much better today and I attribute it to your prayers. I have a good African doctor (she looks about twenty but knows her stuff) and good medicine. But prayer is the best medicine of all. Also, as I write this, a couple we …

I’m often asked, “What’s your favorite thing about Africa?” I smile. “It’s the people. The warm smiles when they realize you’re not an unfriendly “mzungu” (white man) but a person who has come to build a relationship and learn from them.” Are there things I don’t like about Africa?  Sure. I could make a pretty long list of those also. …

Curt’s Tuesday Blog Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Entebbe, Uganda   We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to visit our friends in rural Uganda and South Sudan. You can view a video clip of the memorable welcome we received. For some reason,  the song “Where Corn Don’t Grow” has been on my mind. It’s a song made popular by Travis …

We’re returning home from a memorable trip into the Internet-less rural South Sudan. Stay tuned for stories, photos, videos and more.

Carrying your burden   Not everyone can be trusted with a burden. Can you? This is probably the first (and maybe last ) devotional thought ever written to mention ZZ Top and a scripture together. It’s about burdens and the heavy weight of carrying them. The Bible, in Peter’s first letter encourages us to “cast our every care on Him, …