Claudia Schmidt:

“Evangelize is like planting seeds of love and peace in children’s hearts”

Spiritist for 15 years and assiduous collaborator of O Consolador and other organs of Spiritist divulgation, Claudia Schmidt talks about her introduction to Spiritism and her work in children’s evangelization area, a task in which, according to her thought, will help us build a better world. Having a degree in Law and working at the Federal Justice since 2002, Claudia makes up the team of workers of the Spiritist Group Seara do Mestre, from Santo Angelo (RS), city where she lives.
Up next, the interview.

O Consolador: How did you know Spiritism?

I became Spiritist at about 15 years ago, because I was looking for answers to question such as: Who am I? What am I doing here? Where am I going to? What’s the meaning of life? I found answers for these and many other questions in a group of Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine which I started attending when I knew Spiritism.  

O Consolador: What roles do you perform in the Spiritist Center? 

I’m an evangelist (currently working with kids of the Second Cycle, 9 - 10 years old), I help in the journal Seara Espírita and the organization of the websites www.searadomestre.com.br and www.searadomestre.com.br/evangelizacao, both maintained by the Spiritist Group Seara do Mestre. I also work as the coordinator of a group of Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine. 

O Consolador: Besides our magazine, where else have you published articles? 

I have Spiritist articles and children’s stories published in the journal Seara Espírita. Children’s stories with an evangelical-doctrinal focus can also be found on www.searadomestre.com.br/evangelizacao.  

O Consolador: We know of your dedication to the activities of children’s evangelization. How important is it for the Spiritist worker? 

I’ve been an evangelist for twelve years, and I’m still in love with that! Every evangelist always has the opportunity to learn, because every topic to be developed in a lesson must be studied beforehand. Thus, we are the first to be helped by this, enhancing our knowledge and striving to develop and live the virtues that are taught.  

O Consolador: What’s the importance of evangelizing kids?  

I like the sentence: “Educate children so that it won’t be needed to punish men” since I believe that children’s evangelization contributes for a better world, providing the students with an opportunity to develop ethic-Christian values and better understand the difficulties of life. Evangelize is like planting seeds of love and peace in children’s hearts, but such seeds may germinate in this our future incarnations, providing better schools and contributing to the evolution of each Spirit. 

O Consolador: What experiences or lessons can you talk about such activities? 

I believe that every evangelist should love kids and this task, so that he/she can do a good job. I think that what is most important for an evangelist is when someone of the student’s family reports that the kid has changed his attitude, for better, or when he had a positive reaction to a difficult situation, like the mother who told us that her daughter explained about the disincarnating of her grandmother and comforted the family, even sad with such an event. 

O Consolador: How the production of the material that is on the site of the Evangelization is prepared? 

We are a team of workers, responsible for the site on the Internet, which we organize, complement and publish classes of Spiritist Evangelization received from evangelists all over. On the site you can find resources for evangelization class, messages, handouts with class scripts, and dynamics for teen’s groups, children’s stories, besides suggestions of evangelists’ preparation.  

O Consolador: What can you tell us about this contact with Spiritist evangelists from all over Brazil and abroad?  

Through Internet, this wonderful tool, we share e-mails and ideas with evangelists from all over.  There is this worker in Bolivia, Maria Renee San Martin (translator of the RIE – International Magazine of Spiritism), and she is translating the classes to Spanish, allowing the use of material in other countries. Through the site suggestions can be shared, giving an opportunity to all those who use the material can take part, sending ideas and techniques. Thus, we can share knowledge to multiply the learning of students and evangelists. 

O Consolador: Tell us about the inspiration to produce stories which enchant kids and teens of all ages. 

The stories have, most of times, origin in situations lived with the students or other children, because it’s common, when they know you like to write, they tell you their experiences, which many times are used as ideas of stories. Besides, some stories are written “on demand” of a student’s mom who would like to approach something with her kid and doesn’t know how.  It’s worth mentioning, though, that even if writing sounds like a lonely activity, I realize (and always thank) the presence of the friendly Spirits helping me in this work.

O Consolador: Do the readers usually comment on the stories and articles?  

Many people remember stories and retell them to friends and relatives, turning them into a precious means of reflection, comfort and doctrinal knowledge. The stories are used in evangelization classes, and also in the Home Gospel done with the presence of kids. It reminds of a student who, as he was reading the story during the Home Gospel, saw himself in the story, in a situation which occurred some years ago. 

O Consolador: You have contributed as an article writer for O Consolador. How do you rate this online weekly magazine?  

It’s very important the work of divulgation of the Spiritist Doctrine through the Internet, getting to places we never dreamed of. I thank the opportunity to contribute to this means of Spiritist communication that takes knowledge and comfort to many troubled hearts all over the world, without the barriers of space/time. 

O Consolador: How do you see criminality and violence in our country? How can Spiritist help in this situation?

We are going through a period of changes, in which many troubled brothers are reincarnating, as they have one last opportunity of evolution on planet Earth, since it will become a Regenerating World. This way, I understand that exercising peace, faith and patience, understanding that the Spirits are in different evolutional degrees and have difficulties in the diverse areas of life that must be overcome, is the task of every Spiritist. 

O Consolador: How does it feel to be a public office worker and Spiritist? 

I think about being a good example with attitudes that reflect my belief and trust in God, in any place and in front of everybody, regardless of their creed, is a daily battle of every worker, accomplished, many times, with many difficulties, but never thinking about giving up.

O Consolador: Your final words. 

I thank the opportunity that I was given to participate of O Consolador, at the same time that I invite everyone to know the sites www.searadomestre.com.br  and www.searadomestre.com.br/evangelizacao .