Dear partners in mission,
It’s unbelievable to think that summer is already over. For our family, it said goodbye in a very special way: celebrating Claudia’s birthday on September 22nd. And this year it didn’t just pass quickly — it was intense, full, and unforgettable.
Summer began with the most special moment in Surf Church: on June 21st, we celebrated the baptism of 5 young people — the most important decision in a person’s life. (As we shared in our last letter, it was a morning of tears of joy at the beach.) And what God did afterwards is simply too faithful: during our Surf Camp, Abiel, one of those who were baptized, brought a friend — and that friend accepted Jesus! He is already a new candidate for baptism in the coming months. God is so good!
A Season of Camps and Open Doors
From August to the end of September, we didn’t stop. We began with an invitation to preach at the Word of Life Surf Camp, in Portugal. Then came our very special Surf Camp — without a doubt one of the highlights of our year. This year, our camp gathered more than 80 participants, the biggest we’ve ever had!
We closed the season with two unprecedented events for us, thanks to the new project we launched, “Nós Somos”. We took part with skateboarding and self-defense workshops, with special highlight on the North Surf Fest (WSL) — a world-class event that took place for the first time in the history of surfing here in Porto. What a privilege it was to be present in these places and to witness the light of Christ through our service and love for those who were there.
Introducing the “Nós Somos” Project
I’d like to briefly introduce this new initiative. “Nós Somos” is a Non-Profit Organization that will do exactly what Surf Church does, but operating in a secular way — which gives us access to people and places a church traditionally cannot reach. Our theme is simple and powerful: no young person needs to face life’s challenges alone; we create authentic community with authentic people. You can learn more on our website: https://nossomos.pt/#sobre
Where I Am Right Now
As I write this letter, I am in the United States, on a support-raising trip. One of the great challenges of being a missionary is exactly this: raising support is constant work. Our invitation to you — and to everyone we speak with — is that whoever is interested would join us as a partner in this ministry the Lord is doing in Portugal. Just like those who support us financially, we are all partners of God in this beautiful work, each one with their own role and responsibility.
We are deeply grateful to witness firsthand this beautiful transformation happening in Portugal. We thank the Lord first — but also each one of you, who have supported us and made this mission your mission too.
Please pray with us:
- For our family, for the physical and emotional health of everyone.
- For the children who started the school year — it’s always a challenge to return to classes after summer break.
- For our support: so far the Lord has provided far beyond what we asked or imagined, but we need to increase our income, as the cost of living has grown every year.
- For the beautiful victories the Lord gave us this summer.
- For our future plans, especially the new projects, including “Nós Somos”.
- Praising God for the lives the Lord has been reaching through the ministry of Surf Church and our family.
Do what you love for the One you love!
With love and gratitude,
Samuel, Claudia, Levi, and Lailah Cianelli