The Honduras mission team has arrived safely in Honduras! Praise God! Be sure to check in over the next few days for more updates.
You can see all the photos from the 2015 mission trip right here: https://hondurashope.shutterfly.com
Monday, July 6, 2015
Sweet Reunion!
I was great to see Emma, Sadie, and Jonah. It's a sweet reunion! God has been good to us!
You can see all the photos from the 2015 mission trip right here: https://hondurashope.shutterfly.com
Touchdown in Atlanta
We arrived in Atlanta, and we are looking forward to seeing our Kentucky crew at the gate!
Gate Time!
Chilling at the gate! So far so good. Carla is eating tater tots. Jaden sat on her to take a tot.
Ready to Roll
We're rolling this morning. Gotta give a big thanks to Doug Sydow for driving us up to Indy this AM! Everything is on schedule and God has blessed us with smooth sailing so far. We would appreciate your prayers.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Selfless Sacrifice
A selfless homeschooler stopped by to drop off money stating, "God has put missions on my heart lately." When asked what I should spend it on they replied, "God will figure it out." It's especially humbling knowing they have their own mission trip early next year and sacrificed to do this!
#teen #humble #honduras
Our Honduras Agenda
If there's one thing I've learned about Honduras, it is that "The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry."
Well, here's our plan anyway!
Monday
Well, here's our plan anyway!
Monday
- Arrive at Airport
- Visit supermarket to buy supplies
- Visit Hospital children if time allows
- Get settled in at Baxter Institute
- Sleep at Baxter
- Drive to Guajire to Build a House
- Sleep in Guajire
- Guajire to Build a House
- Sleep in Guajire
- Pack to arrive at Mission House
- Visit Supermarket for any needed supplies
- Spend afternoon visiting Breaking Chains Ministry
- Spend Evening feeding Homeless with Breaking Chains Ministry
- Sleep in Baxter
- Visit the Dump, AFE School, and School for the Blind
- Sleep in Baxter
- Drive to Guajire to Build a House
- Sleep in Guajire
- Church Service In Guajire
- Vacation Bible School in Guajire
- Take Photos in Guajire
- Pass out Clothing Supplies to Church in Guajire
- Sleep in Guajire
- Dig Hole for a new out house (potentially)
- Visit the Cascada (waterfall)
- Drive back to Baxter Institute
- Visit Hospital if time permits in the evening
- Have Photos One Hour Printed in Tegucigalpa for Guajire
- Sleep at Baxter Institute
- Drive to Santa Ana to visit the Casa De Esperansa
- Souvenier shop at markets in Ojojona
- Drive Photos for Delivery in Guajire
- Visit Jesus Statue if we have not already.
- Sleep at Baxter
- Drive to Airport
- Eat Lunch at Airport
- Eat Dinner at Airport
- Arrive in Tennessee/Indiana
Follow God's progress in Honduras
Our bags are packed, we're ready to go. Leavin' on a jet plane...
Want to know what to pray for? Want to know how we're doing? Simply follow my blog at www.topherwiles.com . You can even sign up through email to be alerted when we post something new! We will try to post as much as we can so that you can be a part in praying for us!
God has been good to us.
See you soon!
- Topher
Saturday, July 4, 2015
As You Look Up
Have a very happy and safe 4th of July. As you look up tonight, in between the fireworks, you may see beautiful stars. Consider these words from Isaiah 40:26 and be blessed, "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."
(Photo taken by Topher on July 4th, 2014)
(Photo taken by Topher fall of 2013)
Friday, July 3, 2015
Mormons, Marriage, Moral Malfunction, and a Message
Mormons, Marriage, Moral Malfunction, and a Message
by: Christopher Wiles
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| Photo from blog.al.com |
MORMONS, we love them. They stopped by our house twice a week in Nashville when they found out we would let them come in. We in turn baked them birthday cakes (since these young missionaries were away from their moms), fixed their bicycles (they missed their dads too), and answered their Hebrew/Greek questions (because they were only allowed to read the KJV and not the ancient text). Then after six weeks, they were sadly shipped out to another city, possibly to avoid what was happening in our home; the development of a deep relationship involving trust, love, and a differing view of the Holy Scriptures.
MARRIAGE, we cherish ours. So when our beloved Mormon missionaries informed us that God did not honor our marriage because our wedding was not in a Mormon temple, we were confused and shocked, but not angry. These young men with teary eyes shared their warning and unfortunate news with us because they honestly cared for us and the marriage Ashley and I devoted to God. They shared the warning with us because they genuinely wanted us to share in our marriage not just on earth but in Heaven. As a result of their sincerity, we genuinely searched the scripture to see if this was truth from God's Word, which resulted in our more established faith in the Holy Bible alone.
MORAL MALFUNCTION happens more than you will know. These Mormons were never pushy, angry, or rude to us. Yet all of the young men visiting our home shared stories of the moral malfunction of our society directed at them and their dissenting opinion. One occasion saw a driver speeding down the road hurling an unprovoked glass bottle at these well-meaning missionaries, striking one hard in the shoulder leaving a deep physical and psychological bruise he wouldn't soon forget. Another occasion saw a "member" of the church of Christ slam a door in their faces only because the missionary wore the nametag titled "Elder". You know moral malfunction has set in when they confess, "You're the first nice 'church-of-Christer' we've ever met." They admittedly didn't meet many nice people of ANY belief in America.
MY MESSAGE TO BELIEVERS in God's Holy Bible is to understand that we follow a different Book than the rest of the world. The Mormons have FOUR different "holy" books. Five Supreme Court justices also follow a different book, such as an alternative translation of the 14th amendment of the Constitution. Many others just follow a popular oral tradition titled "Me, Myself, and I".
MY MESSAGE TO BELIEVERS is that like the Mormons and most of the religious world today, our Holy Text does not honor sexual relationships outside of the marriage of one man and one woman. Our Holy Text also doesn't require the marriage to be wedded in a temple.
MY MESSAGE TO BELIEVERS is to understand that you might, like us, be shocked and confused if someone didn't honor your marriage. You then can understand that many will be shocked and confused at your honoring of God's view of marriage in the Bible. Please understand that our culture is teaching many in their shock and confusion to dismiss conflict resolution skills that involve listening, analyzing, and weighing out the truth. The culture espouses a different path including being easily offended at us and the reading of our Holy Book. Due to the fact that we simply follow a different book (different from 3 of the 4 Mormon texts and 5 of the 9 justices' view of the Constitution) we may have people slam doors in our faces, throw glass bottles at us, and call us any number of hateful names. "Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12)
Let us take a lesson from our beloved Mormon missionaries, who have been dealing with their idea of unhonorable marriages for a couple hundred years now in America. Let us not react with hatred to people who sincerely and kindly follow another book than the Bible. Let us not slam the door on authentic opportunities for people to listen and open the Holy Book in a quest for Truth.
By all means, let us not espouse in our lives ANY of the deeds of the flesh which are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissension, division, envying, drunkenness, and carousing (Galatians 5:19-21a). May we instead EARNESTLY SEEK to practice the fruit of the Spirit that will inherit the kingdom of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:21b-23).
To our Mormon missionaries and all those who are kindly seeking truth; bike tools, birthday cakes, and an gentle open Holy Bible will still greet you at our home.
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