Stephen Underwood 2

Pastor Austin Gardner, VBM Director Jeff Bush, and Missionary Stephen Underwood continue their discussion of his ministry in South Africa. Stephen Introduction You can reach him at [email protected] or southafricamissions.com How did your family react when you told them you wanted to be a missionary? My dad tried to talk me out of ministry when […]

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Pastor Austin Gardner, VBM Director Jeff Bush, and Missionary Stephen Underwood continue their discussion of his ministry in South Africa.

Stephen IntroductionYou can reach him at [email protected] or southafricamissions.comHow did your family react when you told them you wanted to be a missionary?My dad tried to talk me out of ministry when I first felt the call to preachAfter they saw that I was serious, they didn’t try to talk me out of itAfter I let them know that I felt called to be a missionary, my dad was very vocal about not being able to see his grandchildrenWe didn’t know at the time, but the Lord called him home before they were bornMy mom didn’t want to let us go through securityShe is now extremely proud and supportive of usWhat is the most influential book that you’ve read outside of the Bible?The Deputation Manual by Austin Gardner!A book that I’m reading now is called Spurgeon’s Sorrows Pastor Gardner highly recommends reading the book Steal Away HomeWho is someone that the Lord has really used to influence your life?Mark Coffey was very instrumental in helping me see the need for world evangelism Mark is an excellent encourager What would you do differently if you could go back?I would not have left my internship early like I didEvery time you take a shortcut, it turns into a long cut, so quit taking shortcuts!What is a misconception that you had as a missionary?That everyone would remember you and think about how great you areStephen has found that the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Is pretty true!What is one of the funniest things that has happened to you in ministry?I was preaching in Alabama In the middle of my preaching, Peyton stands up in the pew and started dancing The pastor saw me turning read and tried to help Peyton sit down The pastor was very gracious and tried to encourage me not to hurt Peyton!What has been the hardest thing for you in ministry so far?Working with young people in who you see real potential that they don’t see in themselvesThey make poor decisions and end up wasting their lifeIn ministry, you are going to deal with people who are going to turn their back on you and hurt youWhat advice would you give to a missionary getting ready to go to the field?No matter how prepared you are, you will still experience culture shockYou need to read Culture Shock by Myron LossIf you can get over the hurdle of dealing in another culture, it will make you 10x more effective than those who can’tWhat is your favorite missionary biography of the past?David Livingston He did some work in South Africa What part of being a missionary do you enjoy the most?Seeing people saved and growing in the LordSeeing them go from being lost to serving the Lord with their livesWhat has the Lord used in your life to overcome discouragement?God’s WordThe Bible is full of men who have dealt with struggles like we haveHaving a group of men who have poured into my life that I can turn to who will give me sound Biblical adviceWhat strange custom is there on your field that people might find interesting?The right of passage into manhoodYoung men, when they turn 18, they go into the bushThere aren’t many bushes, but there are no housesThey get wilderness, and stay in this hut they build while they healThey are taught what it means to be a man during that timeAll of this teaching is totally unbiblical We don’t want to change the culture, but we wan’t to change what isn’t biblicalThey come back and burn all their boyhood, clothesThey go and buy a totally new wardrobeThey’ll paint their faces with clayThere is one young man who came and stayed in camp rhino instead of the bushWe had a real doctor come out and circumcise himHe was taught the Bible instead of witchcraftHe was the very first one that we have given an alternative to the bushTypically, instead of a regular doctor, it’s a witchdoctor that does the circumcisionWhat does your schedule look like in South AfricaI would get up and spend several hours working and studying in the languageI would do my Bible and sermon preparation in the languageThen I’d have a lunch breakAfter that, I would spend the rest of the day working on practicing my languageThat might be going out and going door knockingThat’s how I met the young man that I discipledI would spend as much time with him as I possibly couldHe really was my first son in the faithWhat are some misconceptions that people have about what you do?We don’t have lions or elephants wandering around our backyardLanguage learning is a lot of listening, practicing, and having casual conversation with peopleThere are lots of opportunities to preach and teach the Word of GodEspecially with a team our size, something is going on every weekIs Xhosa hard because so many people speak English?English is a trade language and is one of the official languages of the nation The English came and actually helped liberate South Africa from ApartheidWhat is Apartheid?It was a system of government that the Dutch settlers put into placeThe blacks had very little rights and were very poorly treatedNelson Mandela was the very first black president of South Africa after Apartheid endedWhat is something that you would tell a young person who is interested in missions?Go to your pastor and tell him what you want to do with your lifeGo somewhere that you can get the training that you need for ministryThe Our Generation Training Center is an excellent place to receive that trainingYou have one minute to challenge a young person to surrender their lives for South AfricaIf you want an opportunity to snatch people from the flames of hell, South Africa is the place for you!Closing RemarksWe’d love to invite you to visit our youtube channelWe’d love to invite missionaries and lay people and anyone who is interested in missions to come to the World Evangelism Fellowship in NovemberYou can find more information at wefellowship.com or visionmissions.com

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