Travel Diary 5: 1 Peter 3:1-4

Hello Everyone,

I am settling in for the night near the Nairobi airport. I need to be back for my flight to Rwanda early do didn’t want to stray too far from the airport tonight.

I started in Busia, Uganda where I’ve been for two days. I stayed around to have lunch with our missionaries (the Glasscocks). We had pizza. Then, Tom, an ITEM team member from Kenya, and I got in his car and headed to the border where we both had to clear immigration and start to 2 hour trip back to Kisumu, Kenya for my very short flight back to Nairobi.

The day’s highlight was my conversation with Amber Glasscock, Jim’s wife. She is meeting with various women’s groups and seeing some really good things happen as wives are applying the principles of 1 Peter 3:1-4.

Here are the verses from the Holman Christian Standard Bible:  

1 Peter 3:1-4

Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live,  when they observe your pure, reverent lives. Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes; instead, it should consist of the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes.

Instructions concerning a biblical marriage that begins with husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church are not taught nearly enough. Most husbands are not aware of this principle. We touch on it some in one of our lectures to pastors but there needs to be a lot more.

Amber gave a glowing testimony of how the women are responding to the teaching coming from Titus 2 and other selected Scriptures. She said the women are hungry to learn and eager to apply. When I brought up the fact that most husbands to no live up their biblical “end of the bargain” she said she talks to the women about that and tells them that all they can do it apply the Word from their side and leave the results to God. 

Amber went on to relay stories of husbands who were being changed by the godly behavior of their wives and then the households. Her testimony reminded me of the verses mentioned above, 1 Peter 3:1-4. Obviously a lot more needs to be done in this area but this kind of report encourages us go keep going.

That leads me to mention that next January we are hoping to send our first team of women in several years. We hope it will be an official relaunch of a regular women’s ministry within ITEM. The tentative schedule will be a stop in Nairobi to meet with women in an urban setting. Then move on to Kisumu and then Busia, Uganda to meet with women in a more rural setting. The goal, of course, is for this team of women to gather information from the African ladies and from Amber Glasscock in Busia that will guide them regarding the next steps. Pray with us for them.

If you know a woman who would like to be a part of this team, please contact us at the ITEM office. ITEM@ITEMinistries.org

By His grace,
Steve

Click Here to see a few pictures taken during our trip back to Kisumu.