Venezuela Program Changes Lives One Surfer at a Time

For 23 years, Oscar Abraham Arredondo of Venezuela has been passionate about the sport of surfing, having competed in national tournaments. Today, he combines his love of surfing with sharing the message of the Gospel and the light of Jesus Christ as a partner with SportQuest Ministries.

In 2016, Oscar Abraham started the Tio Pedro Surf School to meet the spiritual needs of the surf community in the city of Carupano on the Venezuelan Caribbean coastline. The vision for this was birthed two years earlier during his time at the Latin American School of Sports Leadership, where one of the facilitators was Oscar Pena from SportQuest. 

While at the leadership school, Oscar Abraham received the training that shaped his vision and ideas for what he would do in the future. He started the surf school in January 2016, but it lasted only three months due to the shortage and deficiency of the surfboards and available equipment. Compounded by the ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, surfboards were hard to come by, much less the funds to purchase enough equipment for the school. 

Oscar Abraham officially joined the SportQuest family in 2020 and, through the support of SportQuest, The Ball Project, and Christian Surfers, he was able to buy new surfboards and other equipment. Today, 18 boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 years old attend the surf school. The Tio Pedro Surf School is also closely associated with the Tio Pedro Surf Club where many adult members also come to surf. The school typically meets three times a week for surf training, Bible study, and special activities such as beach cleaning, participation in surf competitions, and going to other beaches to meet kids from other surf schools and clubs. 

There is a strong emphasis on Christian values in Oscar Abraham’s surf program, which has positively influenced the kids by allowing them to get to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior through Bible studies and spiritual mentoring from Oscar Abraham and the other coaches. He has seen the kids change dramatically since beginning to meet regularly in October 2020. At that time, most of the kids had bad attitudes, were constantly angry with each other, and were very undisciplined. Not only that, none of them had ever surfed before! 

The impact of this program has led to these boys and girls trusting and knowing Jesus as their Savior. As they’ve grown spiritually, they have also changed the way they speak to each other. They no longer use vulgar language, and they work hard to “love their neighbor.” The surf training has taught them discipline that extends into their daily lives. Most of the boys and girls come from dysfunctional families and lack one or both parents at home. The surf school has become a refuge for them -- both spiritually and recreationally. The SportQuest program is redeeming this generation that was once considered by the community a generation without a future. 

Oscar Abraham reflects on one 14-year-old boy who began attending the surf school earlier this year. When the boy was six years old, his father and an uncle taught him to smoke tobacco. One day at the surf school, Oscar Abraham was talking to them about caring for their bodies and souls and warning them of the dangers of drugs. Afterward, this boy came up to him and told him he had been addicted to tobacco since he was six years old. Oscar Abraham offered to help him overcome this addiction through therapy and the power of Christ. Today, this young man is a follower of Jesus, who no longer uses tobacco and is learning to surf! 

Many of the kids Oscar Abraham works with in the surf school have experienced child abuse and are malnourished. Other surfers have learned about the work of Oscar Abraham through the surf school and are aware of the needs and challenges these young people face. Many of these surfers have offered to support the program by volunteering their time, offering financial help, and psychological therapy to the young people of the surf school. Others in the community have inquired about the ministry and vision of SportQuest. Oscar has had many opportunities to share the vision and the message of the Gospel. 

Now, the Tio Pedro Surf School is working together with the Tio Pedro Surf Club and Christian Surfers to link the school to the Venezuelan Surf Federation. This association with the national federation would provide more opportunities to share the Gospel and make disciples in the Venezuelan surf community. 

You too can make a difference in the life of a child in Venezuela by supporting Oscar Abraham and his surfing ministry. To donate, click here.