How did you find
Spiritism?
I found it 15
years ago, when
I went to a
Spiritist Centre
with a serious
back problem. I
went in as a
patient and left
as a worker of
Christ. I was
delighted by the
sensation I felt
and that feeling
has driven to
learn more and
more. And that
has not stopped.
The more I read,
the less I know.
The more I work,
the more I feel
like I do not do
enough, even
though I know I
am a better
person now than
I used to be.
You do a number
of tasks and
activities
within the
Spiritist
Movement, as
healer, speaker
and coordinator
of courses.
Which one of
those pleases
you the most?
Even though I
enjoy and learn
from the three
different tasks,
I feel that I
deepen my
knowledge in the
study groups.
That is where,
in the
productive
discussions,
that I enrich my
knowledge and
strengthen my
friendships. In
the classroom I
go through
amazing
experiences.
Have you met
many people who,
like you, had to
go through a
painful
experience in
life to find
Spiritism, but
then became
dedicated
volunteer
workers?
Yes. I have seen
many people who
transformed
their lives, but
not as many as I
would like to
and not as many
as we need in
Spiritist
Centres. When
our tears dry,
we usually think
that our daily
life and
concerns are
more important
than helping
others.
What is you
assessment of
the Spiritist
Movement in
Salvador?
There is an
intense effort
to unite the
different
groups, which
was the goal of
Bezerra de
Menezes. The
Spiritist
Federation of
Bahia organises
courses,
seminars and
meetings to help
disseminate the
Teachings and to
form volunteers
to work with us.
Demand for
Spiritist
Centres in
Brazil has been
growing and they
must be prepared
to deal with it.
The main problem
is perhaps the
lack of
awareness by
volunteer
workers that
they need to go
through training
and they need to
study to carry
out their
tasks.
As someone with
a degree in
Business
Administration,
do you have any
suggestions to
give to those in
charge of
Spiritist
Centres?
I really like a
concept we used
in
Administration,
called
benchmarking. It
means to learn
from other
people and to
put into
practice only
what is
relevant. In
order to achieve
that, it is
important to
visit other
Spiritist
Centres with the
aim of gathering
information and
to exchange
experiences so
that the
management of
the organisation
can improve.
We should take a
long-term
approach when
looking into the
choice of new
directors and
presidents, in
order to avoid a
power struggle.
It is important,
for that matter,
to observe the
qualifications
of each one and
to make the best
use of their
abilities.
One of the
problems faced
by Spiritist
Centres in
Brazil is the
lack of
volunteer
workers. What is
your view on
that?
Many factors are
responsible for
that. You can
say that people
think short term
(and they do)
but I think
there is really
a problem with
volunteers who
get too attached
to their
functions and
become
suspicious of
newcomers.
Another problem
is the fact that
many people only
look for the
phenomena in
Spiritism and
want to work in
that area
despite having
no knowledge
about it.
Finally, people
end up staying
away because
they know they
will have to
work long hours
to keep the
Spiritist Centre
going. What they
do not realise
is that if more
people joined
the group of
volunteers, the
hours would be
shorter for
everyone.
Is there
anything else
you would like
to add?
I am someone who
is constantly
seeking more
knowledge. The
Spiritual
Benefactors have
given me the
blessing of
allowing me to
work with
something that
brings the money
home but also
feeds my spirit.
At each new job
or task I
undertake I
realise that we
live under laws
that favour our
development. I
need to learn to
love more in
order to give
back what the
Universe has
done for me and
I would like to
have the special
power of putting
inside other
people the words
of Jesus: “But
seek first the
kingdom of God
and his
righteousness,
and all these
things will be
added to you.”
To read a book
that brings you
new knowledge of
Spiritism is
also a way of
seeking the
kingdom of God.
