The Underwood Family

Missionaries to South Africa

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September 2018 Prayer Letter

Things around here have quieted down some after a very exciting and busy June and July! We have one other group coming at the end of this month from Fellowship Baptist in Madison, VA. We are excited to see them and look forward to God working in their hearts during their visit!

Once they leave South Africa and head back to the U.S.; my mom and well as Mark, Kevin, and Jeremy’s mom will all be arriving for a visit for a couple of weeks. It’s been over two years since my mom has seen the boys in person! Neyland was just 3 months old when we left and we are looking forward to some quality time with her!
Missionvale Bible Study is still going well! We have a faithful group that attends each week and we are about to finish studying “Leadership in the Church.” I would like to go through our doctrinal beliefs before we leave for furlough next year, and then again once we return in January 2020.

This leads me to ask a special prayer request of you all! Many are aware of the ever growing visa issues that many are facing trying to come to work in South Africa. We are in the process of trying to renew our current volunteer visas as advised by a visa official here in South Africa. We have already sent off the paper work for our FBI background checks, and will be marking things off the list as we wait on those to return. Please pray that we are able to renew our visas that we can continue to minister and serve in the Xhosa community!


Another need I would like to put before you this month is a fellow South African church planter, the Bond Family. They have been serving the Lord faithfully here for over a decade with very little recognition and support. They are a solid family of like faith. They are in desperate need of transportation. Our Project South Africa team is trying to raise $8000 in order to help buy them a vehicle. If you would be interested in helping with this need, please send any donation to Vision Baptist Missions labeled “Bond Vehicle Fund.”


Lastly, please pray for Pastor Lubablo, pastor of Madiba Bay Baptist Church. He will be traveling to the U.S. this month to preach in several churches. During his time, I will be preaching for him at Madiba and ask you to pray for this as well. This is a great opportunity for both of us and I am excited to see how the Lord blesses!

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

*For a PDF Downloadable version of our prayer letter, click the link below!*

Underwood Family Prayer Letter PDF Download

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August 2018 Prayer Letter

August Prayer Letter PDF Download

Well, we have a short break from groups at the moment after a very busy June and July! We were extremely blessed to host some amazing missions teams, and watch God work in their hearts to be more involved in reaching the world with the gospel of Christ!

Our next group will be coming toward the end of September, so for now we are settling back into our routine and continuing to teach and build our Missionvale bible study! This past Wednesday, while I was in Johannesburg, a young man Mark Coffey works closely with named Yanga filled in for me during the bible study. I am grateful for his willingness and I know that the folks there really enjoy hearing him preach!
Concerning our furlough in March of next year; God has really blessed us with several meetings to present our ministry! I am currently trying to fill our furlough calendar, so if you and your church family would like us to come by, it would be our honor! So far, we will be in 20 new churches and praying that God will bless our time during furlough!

This prayer request is one of much importance. From the time that we applied for our visas to come to South Africa until now, the process has become increasingly more strict. When we applied in 2016, I turned in our paperwork on a Thursday, and we had our visas in hand through the USPS on Monday! That doesn’t seem to be the situation anymore. We have yet to hear of anyone being rejected all together, or rejected after an appeal, but it appears that this is just around the corner.

We will be attempting to renew our visas in country in December of this year. Please pray with us that it goes smoothly and that there is nothing hindering us from being able to renew them for our family. With that being said; we know that God is in complete control, He is still on the throne, and that His will will be done!

I want to thank you all for your continued love, prayers, and support of our family! We are eternally grateful!

Also, be sure to click the link at the top for a PDF download version of this prayer letter!

Your Missionaries to South Africa,

Stephen, Ashlee, Peyton, Eli, and Neyland

The Underwood Family
Acts 20:24
southafricamissions.com

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July 2018 Prayer Letter

July 2018 PDF Download

July is one of my favorite months for several reasons, some even because of my inner child. For one; it’s my birthday month! Secondly, we are over the half way point to Christmas! And thirdly, because of Independence Day!

I am grateful to be counted among so many that serviced in the United State Armed Forces, and am proud to be a veteran of Iraq! If that wasn’t enough to feel pride and patriotism; I also have the privilege in living in a foreign country and witnessing many of the freedoms we share in the United States non existent for others around the world! We certainly are a blessed nation!

The greatest blessing we have however, is not our Republic, it is not democratically elected officials, nor is it even life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our greatest blessing is that we for more than 200 years have had unbridled access to the gospel of Jesus Christ! It is with this blessing that we also have the greatest responsibility; getting that gospel to a lost and dying world! I am so thankful to be a small part in our Lord’s commission to go into all the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ!

God is continuing to bless our efforts in Missionvale! We currently have Pastor Chad Gordon and a missions team from Lighthouse Baptist Church here with us. Wednesday, Pastor Chad brought a great message to our Missionvale folks and we had a number of first time visitors in attendance! Please continue to pray for this needy area!

Likewise, pray with me about something else that is very exciting; the right piece of property for our Missionvale church plant! There is currently a piece of property with a house that is for sale on a main (paved) road in Missionvale very close to where we are currently meeting that is going for R150,000 which is the equivalent of $11,000! Our goal will be to raise the funds needed to purchase a piece property and build a church building while on furlough in March of next year! I would ask you to pray with us for direction to the right property, and for God to supply the funds needed!

Lastly, please pray with us for the next 8 months as we plan and prepare to head back to the United States for furlough. I will be calling and scheduling meetings starting in August for the 2019 calendar year. God has already blessed, and allowed me to schedule roughly 20 meetings during our furlough! If you and your church family would like us to come by and present our ministry, it would be our honor!

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