The Underwood Family

Missionaries to South Africa

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April 2018 Prayer Letter

Easter! What a wonderful day to kick off a new month! I’m so thankful that we serve a Risen Savior, and a Living God!

Unfortunately, that is not true for billions of souls around the world. Here in South Africa, many of the Xhosa people will sacrifice and worship their ancestors, praying to them to receive blessings.

On “Good Friday,” I had the great privilege to preach alongside my co-laborers at Kwadwesi Extension for a special meeting leading up to Easter Sunday! It was a very simple gospel message on the promise Christ gave to the thief on the cross; “today you will be with me in paradise!” I’m glad that we do not have to rely on baptism, keeping the law, sabbath worship, or any other work to have the promise of Heaven!

Our Missionvale bible study continues to go well! We have had an average of 15 people each week with a high of 23! Last week, Missionary to Morocco, Brendon Wung was our guest preacher for the evening. The folks really enjoyed getting to know him and his family during our time together.

We also hosted the Vision Baptist Missions South Africa Regional Conference! Pastor Austin Gardner, and VBM Director Jeff Bush as well as several others came down to challenge us and remind us of our most important ministry; training men to do the work of the ministry!

I ask that you all continue to pray with us for several things:

First and foremost is our language learning. I desperately desire to speak Xhosa and preach the gospel to these wonderful people in their native tongue!

Our Missionvale Bible Study! This is a great time of language practice for me, but more than that, it is a great opportunity to teach and train Thulasizwe to study the word of God and to teach others also!

Lastly, is ask that you pray for my Uncle Terry. He is my dad’s oldest brother and is in critical condition in ICU. He is on a ventilator, and we are not sure if he will be able to breathe without it. He has given clear testimony of salvation and for that, I am grateful. Nevertheless, God’s will be done!

Thank you all for your continued prayers, love, and support of our family!

Your Missionaries to South Africa,

Stephen, Ashlee, Peyton, Eli, and Neyland
The Underwood Family
Acts 20:24
southafricamissions.com

  

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March 2018 Prayer Letter

February was an amazing month in our ministry and in our family! Ashlee and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! God sure has been good to me over the years and blessed me with an amazing wife! When we were married, I was still serving in the Army, and we did not ever have a wedding ceremony. So for our anniversary, after a little over a year planning, I was able to surprise Ashlee with a wedding! I cannot thank our friends enough for all the help they gave to make this day special for us!

We kicked off the first Wednesday of the month with our inaugural Missionvale bible study where we plan to start a church in the very near future! During our first bible study, we had 9 people attend and had several professions of faith! Over the course of the month, Thulasizwe’s parents and uncle have all made professions of faith in Jesus Christ! Also, as I requested prayer for Raymond last month, he too trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior! We are so thrilled with what God is doing in Missionvale and look forward to many more souls coming to salvation through the ministry there!

As we meet each week, we are going through discipleship lessons and discussing what we believe as Baptists and why. Its been very exciting to hear and answer questions from our folks that have been faithful over the last four weeks.

Right now, we are meeting in the home of Thulasizwe in their living room. One week, we had 17 total people attend from the area and space was tight. This is a good thing! In the coming weeks, we will be looking for properties close by that we might be able to rent, or purchase for a building that will accommodate between 50 – 75 people. Within the next few months we will be looking to raise between $15,000 – $20,000 to be able to purchase a piece of property, and build a church building. I would ask that you would all pray with us and for us during this next phase of ministry!

Each week, before our midweek bible study, I spend some time with Thulasizwe going over the lesson for the evening. During one of these times, he asked me about how to show others that God’s word is true and can be trusted! He also asked how you can know if God wants you to serve in the ministry!! This is an exciting question for me and we spent time looking at the scriptures about how to know God’s will and being obedient to it!

Also, during the month of February, I was privileged to teach some of the men from our home church, Newton Baptist. Over FaceTime, we studied Cross-Cultural Servanthood, our private walk with the Lord, and steps to becoming a missionary on a foreign field! It was a great challenge for me as I prepared for the class and taught these men. I am excited about the future of men surrendering to take the gospel of Christ to the world!

A few things you can pray with us about are:

  1. Please continue to pray with us for our Missionvale church plant and that God will continue to bless our efforts!

  2. Continue praying with Ashlee and I as we grow in our language learning and abilities! We cannot get comfortable where we are, we must keep growing!

  3. Pray for Thulasizwe as he makes decisions about the direction of his life and serving the Lord!

Thank you all for your continued love, prayers, and support of our family!

Your Missionaries to South Africa,

Stephen, Ashlee, Peyton, Eli, and Neyland
The Underwood Family
Acts 20:24
southafricamissions.com

 

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Results of 1st Missionvale Bible Study!

Today, we kicked of our very first Xhosa Bible Study in the Missionvale area where we are looking to start a church! I was extremely excited to see 9 people (10 if you count me) attend!

I am even more excited to report to you all that SEVEN out of the nine made professions of faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior! Two the these folks were Thulasizwe’s mom and dad! I know that he has been praying for their salvation for quite some time!

Another one that accepted Christ as his Savior was Raymond; the young man I mentioned yesterday that Thulasizwe invited to church! As I was taking him home he told me, “I realized tonight that I know about God, but I didn’t know God. I know now that I will be in Heaven because of Jesus dying for me!”

Please continue to pray as we take the next steps in our bible study. Next week, we will do a review of biblical salvation, and begin setting up discipleship meetings as we can! God sure is good!

Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support for our family and ministry!

Your Missionaries to South Africa,

Stephen, Ashlee, Peyton, Eli, and Neyland
The Underwood Family
Acts 20:24