This quote is part of our interview with Valéria Arenhardt (photo), who was born in the Brazilian city of Toledo, in Paraná state, and lives in Vilhena, Rondônia, in the country’s Amazon region. She has a degree in Environmental Technology and master degrees in Education, Accountancy and Business Management. She is also a volunteer worker and member of the board of directors of the Allan Kardec Spiritist Centre in Vilhena. In this interview, she talks about the Spiritist Movement in the city and her experience since finding the Teachings in the 1980s.

When and how did you find Spiritism?

It was in 1984, when I was ill in my body and my soul and going through a very difficult period in my life. I had visions that I couldn’t understand. Eventually, I was helped by a Spiritist man who realised what was going on. Later I found out that he was one of the founders of the Spiritist Centre in Vilhena. He and a small group of people welcomed me and helped me. They realised that I needed immediate access to information and relevant explanations and introduced me to the study of The Spirits’ Book.

Which aspect of Spiritism means the most to you? Why?

It is the fact that the three aspects of Spiritism – Science, Philosophy and Religion – are integrated and interdependent. It all becomes clear and obvious when we look at the information at our disposal from that triple aspect. That is why it is essential to study the Teachings. Spiritism provides clear answers to questions about the world we live in: what, who, when, where and why. That enables us to make our choices and put into practice our free will on our daily lives. It is up to each one of us to improve or not, to become better people or not.

How is the Spiritist Movement in Vilhena?

It was born in a humble and welcoming house, where the priority is the Teachings of Jesus. It is a house that welcomes us and enlightens us through education and presents us with opportunities to work to help others. There we can put love, charity and forgiveness into practice and so become better people.

Tell us a bit more about the Spiritist Centre where you work as a volunteer.

The Allan Kardec Spiritist Centre of Vilhena, Rondônia, was officially founded on December 20th, 1985, but it had started some time before with a number of activities.

The population in the city of Vilhena is predominantly Christian Evangelical, but the Spiritist community is widely respected. There are no religious conflicts in the city, but instead a good degree of integration among the different denominations. The volunteer workers at the Spiritist Centre work to help the community in many ways. We have support groups that spread comforting messages, including in the painful moments when families lose their dear ones. We visit families to help them with the Gospel in the Home, we organise book fairs, we have support groups for pregnant women, we have study groups and organise lectures and talks and we do charity work to help the body and the soul and all of those in need.

Would you like to highlight an experience you’ve had throughout the years in the Spiritist Movement?

Working as a volunteer in a Spiritist Centre, you come across so many experiences and opportunities to put love, charity and forgiveness into practice. It has become clear to me that we are now the result of what we did in many previous lives. We are back on the planet to restore the essential values through our inner reform and by practicing the Teachings of Jesus. I have experienced an amazing feeling of fulfilment when I began realising that I was indeed making clear spiritual progress.

Which is your strongest memory or lesson from your contact with Spiritism?

I have learned to forgive. During more than 10 years, I practiced in front of a mirror how to ask for forgiveness, until one day someone whispered in my ear: “Today is the day. Be ready.” And that’s exactly what happened. I am not completely sure of what I had done to that person in previous lives and to be honest I didn’t try hard to find out. There was a history of so many conflicts, after all, and some very serious ones. After I finally asked for forgiveness, I became weak and passed out. After a few hours of rest for my body, my soul regained strength too and I experienced a feeling a freedom that I can’t begin to describe. I felt like shouting, I felt like telling everyone what had happened. I felt an urge to say in a very loud voice that Our Master Jesus is fantastic, amazing and truly indescribable. It was and it still feels like an amazing experience. My life has changed completely since that experience…

Is there anything else you would like to add?

You need to maintain strict discipline every day of your life in order to be able follow the Teachings of Our Master Jesus, from the small daily events to the great changes that lead to our inner moral reform. We all make mistakes, but there are endless opportunities to start again. All we need is to understand the goals God has set for us all and to make a new beginning every day to write a story of love, forgiveness and charity on the book of our lives. Faith is an important tool at our disposal. If we know how to use it, we will be more confident. We are all the children of God and therefore we all have the capacity to make the right choices and follow the right path. Not one of the sheep will be lost. Jesus is our model and guide! Thank you.