Hello dear,
We are already reaching the end of the first month of 2026. It is unbelievable how fast time flies! Glory to God, for His time is always perfect and His will is sovereign.
I would like to start, as always, by thanking God first, but also thanking you for walking with us throughout this time. The year 2025 was one of much learning and growth. I don’t know if you remember, but at the beginning of 2025, I shared that the Lord had given me the word “Growth.”
I truly believed we had everything in place to grow visibly: new ministry partners, the start of the intern training project, great opportunities, and great perspectives. Well, the truth is that growing with God doesn’t always look exactly like what we expect or predict. 🙂
We reached the end of 2025 feeling that many things crumbled along the process, especially when looking from the perspective of our health and plans. I have a photo that seems to say it all in a single image:
It was December 31st. I went surfing with the guys from the church to close out the year. What was supposed to be a relaxing session turned into an unbelievable sequence of battles:
- First, one of our guys had a problem with another surfer, an accident that turned into a fight which was only resolved when we went to the sand to calm everyone down.
- A few minutes later, another surfer, upon entering the water, started yelling at another one of our guys, telling him to get out and that he shouldn’t be surfing at that spot.
- And finally, to top off the session, I was doing a maneuver on a wave and my board snapped in half.
It was New Year’s Eve. Looking at my face in the photo, I am laughing. I’m laughing precisely because, looking back, 2025 felt like a joke—it was that unbelievable. I could never have expected this ending. But that laughter was also saying: “The board broke, but we are still standing.”
2026: Level Up With frustrated plans but our faith intact, and without any clear idea of what God has set apart for us in 2026, the word the Lord gave me was “Evoluindo” (Level Up). Facing this proposal from the Lord, some steps were taken:
- The Leveling: We started our internal training course which we are calling “Leveling,” aiming to help the church be on the same level of thinking and vision for 2026.
- Prayer: We started an online prayer time on Fridays (6:00-7:00 AM), seeking the Lord for the paths we will tread this year.
The Fruit of Your Support In the midst of it all, as we mentioned in our last letter of 2025, the Lord has multiplied in our midst. We experienced significant growth in members and people committed to the Kingdom. In fact, growth happened, especially in the hearts of those we lead.
But I must highlight the Surf Ministry, which has surprised me so much in the last 6 months. The desire to preach the Gospel and be present in the community we serve is evident. Every week we have different initiatives happening, with street evangelism and large groups participating in our surf activities—even during the harsh winter time—and the young people of the church are super engaged in strengthening one another.
A “Level Up” Challenge for You This letter could have many chapters, but my desire is to encourage you. And also to challenge you. For this work to continue “leveling up” here in Portugal, we need support. I would like to challenge you to consider a “Level Up” in your partnership with us for 2026. Whether by maintaining your faithful support (which is vital) or, if possible, increasing your monthly contribution, you will be a vital part of seeing the Kingdom of God evolving here in Portugal.
Therefore, here are our reasons for praise and prayer requests:
- Praise God for His infinite mercy and grace;
- Praise the Lord because we have lacked nothing, and even in harder times, He has multiplied over our lives;
- We thank God for the youth of Surf Church who have been motivated and dedicated to growing and seeking more of the Lord;
- We give thanks for seeing the surf ministry reaching more and more people—the testimonies are many;
- We ask God to guide us in 2026 and show us clearly which direction we should take;
- We ask the Lord to raise up more people to partner with us and His work here in Portugal and Europe.
Thank you for being part of our story.
With gratitude,
Samuel & Family
Update from Sam and Claudia
Portugal