Stoked About Portugal! By Drew Lambert

 So stoked right now!  That’s how I felt as I
drove home from the Friends of Portugal (FOP) event at the Ataides’ home in San Diego, CA last Friday night.  And I’m still feeling it!  …FOP is making a significant impact and I am proud to be a little piece of the puzzle that has helped create this wonderful aid organization for the disparaged in the small, crisis-laden country of Portugal.


If I were you, I know I’d be asking myself “Why Portugal?” and “What’s so awesome about the Friends of Portugal?”  Well, this past Fall I was lucky enough to travel to Portugal and France with my MBA program at Point Loma Nazarene University and long story short, I fell in love with Portugal… the people, the food, the history, the culture, the land, and of course the surf!  I think I like Portugal because it reminds me of California in many respects, but the thing that really drew me in is the people.

One of my favorite stories to tell people about how nice the Portuguese are is that of  a little old lady, the sweetest thing I’d seen in a long time (wish I had taken a picture with her) – I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home with me.  A couple of my colleagues and I were waiting for our ride to catch up with the rest of the crew outside Loures, and the lady just starts talking and joking with us like we were her long lost grandchildren, chuckling away.  We couldn’t understand a single word she was saying (she didn’t seem to mind), picking up enough through gestures and facial expressions, but we connected and she brightened our day.

The most wonderful part of the trip, however, was the creation of new, meaningful (hopefully lifelong) relationships.  I had the privilege to befriend the Ekks, Jose Arrais-Velez (and family), and others involved in the leadership and support of FOP projects in Portugal.  They’re the kind of people that will clothe you, feed you, shelter you, show you around, and show you a good time.

 John Cosby (PLNU MBA, Entrepreneur) and I, with the guidance and support of our Entrepreneurship professor Randy Ataide and after research and meetings with the Ekks and Velez’s, wrote a strategic business plan for the Massama Project(http://www.friendsofportugal.net/projects.html), the first of many projects to come that combine the skills of young entrepreneurs and MBAs with the hearts of gold and experience of seasoned pastors and missionaries.  It was a unique experience for me and a new experience for these pastors, missionaries, and counselors to apply business principles to their charitable efforts, all too often the fact in nonprofit ventures.  That’s what’s so awesome about the FOP though.  The organization has literally just begun, yet it has already brought together people of very diverse backgrounds to create innovative solutions for charitable projects.  I am so encouraged by the cheerful fortitude and faith of the FOP leaders here in the U.S. and on the ground in Portugal. 

The FOP event I attended only increased my “stoked level” and excitement to be a part of the process.  Witnessing the FOP leaders talk about FOP’s next steps in front of the little crowd in San Diego was inspiring and really got me fired up!  Even more so, it gave me confidence in what they’re doing, the kind of feelings that make you say to yourself, “You know what?  There’s something special going on here in Portugal!"