Update from Sam and Claudia
Portugal
This is the leadership team starting 2022.
Praise God! This is how I would like to start 2022. This past year we communicated what God has been doing in our lives and the challenge we had in our hands regarding our home and the space for the Surf Church, our community center. Today at the beginning of the first half of the year of 2022, we praise God because these challenges were overcome and now we enjoy the opportunity to be in our home, the way Claudia and Levi dreamed, and meet with the church in a new place with space to make many dreams come true.
At the beginning of 2021 the Lord put the word Faith in my heart. Throughout 2021 we studied as a church some of the Paul´s letters, among them, Romans where Paul talks about being firm in the faith and if so, in the face of trials , we develop a character like Christ´s.
Faith has undoubtedly been the word that the Lord has placed in my heart throughout the years 2020 and 2021. Knowing that the Lord God is in control of all things and having faith in Christ Jesus that His will is being done in our lives, is the Hope that all of us Christians live day by day. That is why, reflecting on this beginning of the year 2022, the Lord has placed in my heart the word of Paul to the Romans perseverance.
In Romans chapter 5 Paul reminds us that perseverance will produce an approved character. To be approved by God is to walk day by day in the face of tribulations and uncertainties believing that in Jesus name we will achieve victory, it is to have the Hope that we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Christ wherever we are.
Over the past year we have been wonderfully surprised by God. We have seen the result of our faith and the fulfillment of the promise of Ephesians 3 – the One who is able to do infinitely more than all that we ask or think.
Those who are following our newsletters, know a little more about the details of our adventure with Christ in the conquest of our community center. A place acquired where today our Surf Church Porto community and our P2P training center are already operating. A place where, Thank God, we are implementing improvements that we believed would only be possible over many years, but which were already achieved in 6 months. A place where we dream of being able to further bless the community around us. And we are not short of dreams to explore the potential of this gift from God.
Also this past year, against the odds because of the pandemic and restrictions on social interaction, the Lord God performed the miracle of saving lives through our ministry and gave us the privilege of baptizing 2 of them, Mateus and Rafael. Two young people who are now part of our group and are being followed up through discipleship on a weekly basis.
Looking back, for us, is a reason for joy, it is a reason for praise, because we are seeing the result of living perseveringly, believing that we are on the way to fulfilling our mission.
My word of encouragement for this year 2022 is perseverance. Fight and believe, for the Lord is with you wherever you go.
Pray for us:
1. Our family;
2. Our leadership team;
3. The projects to the new space for SC;
4. The beginning of P2P
