The thought above is by Maria Terezinha Gobbi Primo (photo). She lives in her hometown, Fernandópolis, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, where she is the current president of the Abrigo aos Aflitos Spiritist Association. In the following interview, she explains how she became a Spiritist and speaks about the work carried out by the Spiritist Centre she manages.

When and how did you become a Spiritist?

It all began 34 years ago, when my son was only five and he began behaving in an odd manner. Some people said the likely cause was of a Spiritual nature. I didn’t really understand what they meant at the time, as I had been brought up as a Catholic. One day a friend of mine, who was a Spiritist, invited me to go along to a Spiritist meeting. We received healing and I’ve never left, so to speak. My links with that Spiritist Centre remain to this day.

Tell us about the Associação Espírita Beneficente Abrigo aos Aflitos, the Spiritist Centre where you work as a volunteer.

Our organisation was founded on June 10th, 1979, by Raimundo de Souza Medrado, who had begun studying the Gospel According to Spiritism along with a group of people under a mango tree. Thanks to his determination and dedication, we now have what has become an important Spiritist Organisation in the city. We offer a number of regular activities and services, including healing, study groups, courses for pregnant women and a social project for local children.

When we visit the organisation, we can see clearly that a lot of work is put into creating a clean, organised and pleasant atmosphere, both from a material and spiritual perspective. Would you like to comment on that?

We do indeed make a continuous effort to create a nice, well looked after and clean space for everyone who attends our Spiritist Centre, surrounded by flowers and a nice garden. That is also a way of showing to the children who come to us the importance of creating a nice atmosphere and paying attention to detail. In response, we get their positive vibrations, which help create a harmonious spiritual ambience. All volunteer workers do their best. They work hard, they study and get involved in many activities, which also helps create a positive spiritual atmosphere.

What are the most enduring memories from all those years at the Spiritist Centre?

We have faced huge battles along all these years to get where we are now. There’ve been so many that is difficult to pinpoint a particular one. But I remember in particular an occasion when the roof of the organisation’s main house was blown off during a storm. We were very sad and distraught at the time, but began rebuilding straight away. It must be said that we continued with all the activities offered to the public during that period. That incident was a lesson for us all on the importance of love and perseverance. We never gave up and that is still our attitude.

Is there anything else you would like to highlight to our readers?

We must work incessantly for the common good and the good causes. That is the most valuable credit card we own. If we do that, we won’t fear the obstacles along the way, as we know that there is no limit to what we can achieve through love, hard work and the continuous help from the Spiritual Benefactors.

What are the main challenges facing the Spiritist Centre you manage?

We must keep the facilities in a good state, with everything working well like now. We have financial constraints and, like most Spiritist Centres, we face a shortage of dependable volunteer workers who can be with us all the time. But we must not lose faith or trust in the future, because our Spiritual Benefactors are always with us, helping us in so many ways.

How do you coordinate your work with that of other Spiritist organisations in the city and in the region?

We make a concerted effort to remain active members of the local Spiritist Movement, interacting with other Spiritist Centres and taking part in regional events and seminars. Also, we have always opened our doors to other Spiritist Centres who may need our facilities to host their own events or activities gathering Spiritists from the region.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would like to express my gratitude and joy for having the opportunity to say a few things about our Spiritist Centre and the Auta de Souza Childhood Centre. I urge you, my brothers and sisters, to get down into business and work hard, as there is so much to be done for Our Master Jesus and faith without deeds is dead faith. We must never stop believing in the power of love. Jesus believes in us and expects us to do our duty in the field of charity.