The Underwood Family

Missionaries to Argentina

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Signing on a building! Quick Underwood Update!

After nearly a three month search, looking at over a dozen locations for rent, and hearing from at least eight different real estate agents “no to a church,” we are finally signing on a great location!

I am so excited about the days, and weeks ahead, though this is all uncharted territory, I know that God has already begun working, and preparing hearts to hear His gospel message!

This garage (galpón) is roughly 78 square meters, has a small room to the side that will serve as our children’s church, and two bathrooms. One bathroom is unfinished, so we will be finishing that as soon as possible. Some work has already begun, such as adding a roof to an open air area, and sealing off a door to become a window. We will be giving this garage a major face lift when it is empty of the owner’s belongings, and preparing to hold services as soon as we can!

At signing, I will be paying a little over $2,000 just to be able to take possession officially. The owner has been so gracious to allow us to spend time there already, and says he will be one of our first visitors! He is a retired artisanal wood worker and has already built my first pulpit as a gift! The estimated cost for all that needs to be done to make this garage a functional church, (no bells and whistles), is roughly $10,000. If you would like to help and be a part, we would be grateful for anything the Lord moves you to give! Simply designate any special gifts as Church Plant and send it to:

Vision Baptist Missions
Attn: Stephen Underwood
P.O. Box 442
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Thank you all for praying with us and staying up to date with our family and ministry here in Argentina!

Your Missionaries to Argentina,

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

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May 2022 Prayer Letter

Underwood Family Prayer Letter PDFDownload

Dear Pastors and Prayer Partners,

April was a full month of blessings and encouragements and there are even more heading our way! We have finally started making headway on our church plant in Ezeiza. There were times I wasn’t sure what was going on, between owners not wanting to rent to a church, or paperwork for visas being delayed, but God is certainly in control and in His timing, we see results!

I believe we have found a good fit for our church plant; at least for the first year or so. There are two other places we will see before making a final decision, but I am encouraged either way. Each place is essentially a garage of sorts, but with a little TLC we can see it transformed into a sanctuary of the gospel to a lost and dying world! At one location, I have already priced what it will cost for some remodel and paint; roughly $10,000. I hope to have some estimates for the other options in the days to come. Please pray for wisdom in making this decision. We are so eager to get things going!

I’d also like to request prayer for our visa paperwork. In February, we were able to extend our visas without leaving the country for an additional 90 days. This time, it appears that we will need to hop across to Uruguay to stamp our passports. This will not be an issue anymore once we have our letter of invitation back from the governmental department that has it currently.

I’m so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to preach, teach, and stretch my language ability. I was honored to preach/teach 1 Corinthians 13 at Iglesia Bautista Fe on a Thursday evening, and I believe the Lord used it to encourage folks. May my life be a reflection of His love to the world!

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support for our family! Your Missionaries to Argentina,

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

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April 2022 Prayer Letter

Underwood Family Prayer Letter PDFDownload

Dear Pastors and Faithful Prayer Partners,

March has flown by and we are only picking up speed! As we continue looking for the place that God would have us to start our church, we are narrowing down our options of buildings for rent. I’m truly excited about all the possibilities in the area of Ezeiza and believe God is going to do something great!

I’m thrilled to report that I had the privilege to preach my first entire service this last month. We are so humbled by the kindness and support of Iglesia Bautista Fe, and cannot show our gratitude enough to have them as our church as we learn and adjust to Argentina. Patrick and Leslie Henry have done an absolutely phenomenal job mentoring and teaching these believers and I know they are ready to have the Henry family home!

I am continuing to make contacts in our area as well. On three different occasions, I’ve been able to present the gospel to those asking questions about Baptist beliefs in comparison to Catholicism. Its amazing to me how God opens these doors of opportunity, then provides the words to say in the moment we need to say them!

It has been our privilege as well to host Jason Holt, missionary in Santiago, Chile for a few days. He helped me tremendously as we surveyed Ezeiza and showed me good locations to start our church. He was also a blessing to Matias and Eric, Patrick’s guys at Fe.

Likewise, Ashlee and I hosted another guest for a couple of weeks; Karen Patterson. I had never met her previously to this trip, but she reached out during covid, before
we arrived, and told us of her desire to visit and serve. She was a great blessing
and had a tremendous attitude of service to the folks while she was here!

If you are interested in planning a missions trip to Argentina, it would be our pleasure to host you and your church group! Please reach out any time with questions and I will do my very best to answer and help plan any future missions trips!

Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support.

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