Overview

Portimão is the Algarve's second largest harbour town with about 40,000 inhabitants. Tourism and sardine fishing are the major industries but this traditional fishing town is overwhelmed each year by many tourists each summer increasing the population to well over 400,000. More than six million visitors take vacations each year in Portugal's southern Algarve coast.

2012 was the first time a UBM team (under the operational name of ‘Missões de Verão’) ran a mission in Portugal. The Lord really blessed this first year and we plan to build on what was done. So this is still a great opportunity to take part in a developing a work which, God willing, will continue for years to come. We were invited by the International Christian Fellowship (pastored by David Borgan and his wife Joy)

The beach on which we will be operating is called Praia da Rocha - an extensive stretch of sand sheltered by cliffs – which is one of the most famous in the Algarve. Here is where the fame of the Algarve as being a holiday paradise started when in the late 1800s people started coming here.

It is expected that beach work (games, quizzes, Bible stories, songs) will happen in the morning and late afternoon with opportunities to run family based events too. During the evening Portimão is very busy and we also anticipate being able to run activities in the evening along the promenade. In addition, the team have been invited to be involved in the locally run sports week by teaching English to children at lunchtime (again using quizzes and Bible stories). 

The week will run in both English and Portuguese so that both nationalities can take part.

Missões de Verão, c/o David & Joy Borgan, Urb. Serra e Mar, Lote 62, 8400-906 Ferragudo, Lagoa, Portugal