Greetings from HOME!!
It has been 5 weeks since my family and I have been home in our own bed, but we had a wonderful time meeting some of the greatest folks in the world over the last month!
During our annual Vision Baptist Missions Orientation, I was encouraged and challenged to work harder than ever before to finish deputation and get to the field! The Lord spoke to me through a lesson on “brokenness”, and how God uses broken people to accomplish His work. I didn’t realize that I had allowed my dad’s passing to become an excuse for apathy. I am grateful for God using orientation to rekindle a fire and motivate me to work harder.
After orientation, we headed up north for several meetings and missions conferences. I was able to witness the great need for laborers in the North East, and meet godly men who are faithfully preaching Christ in a tough area. Maine was absolutely beautiful, and God has already allowed us to see fruits from that trip with a new supporting church!
From Maine, we drove to Michigan for a missions conference with my dear friend, Pastor Nathan Gregory. Pastor Wayne Cofield, of Whitfield Baptist Church in Dalton, GA preached the conference and God used him mightily! (I grew up at Whitfield from the time I was 12 years old!)
Pastor Cofield preached the first evening on “Leaving your first love” and it spoke to my heart further about getting back to a focused and purposed life in serving God. All I can say is, God knew exactly what I stood in need of this month through the preaching of His word!
We praise God for two new supporting churches this month, and three others that have notified me that they have voted to partner with us to reach South Africa!
Please continue to pray for our needed support as we inch closer and closer to 2016 when we leave for the field! Also, please pray for traveling mercies as we continue to raise our support. We have put 130,000 miles on our van in only fifteen months! Lastly, pray for laborers! Each day, folks are dying and slipping into eternity. We have a job to do, the souls of men are at stake, and our time is short!
Thank you for your love and support!
Your missionaries to South Africa,
Stephen, Ashlee, Peyton, and Eli
The Underwood Family
Acts 20:24
Leave a Reply