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Neide Marisa
Brandt (photo)
became a
Spiritist due to
a difficult
experience in
her family life.
A few years
later she
opened, with
some friends,
the Spiritist
Centre André
Luiz, where she
still works.
Neide Brandt is
an Economist,
born in the city
of Fraiburgo.
She has lived in
São Joaquim
since 1998.
O Consolador:
Tells us a bit
more about Santa
Catarina and São
Joaquim. Is it
true that the
city is
officially the
coldest in the
whole country?
São Joaquim is
on the highlands
of the state of
Santa Catarina,
in the south of
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Brazil, 1,360
metres above sea
level. The
population is
about 25,000
people. São
Joaquim and the
nearby city of
Urupema have the
lowest
temperatures on
average in the
whole country.
Our economy is
based on
agriculture,
farming and
cattle breeding.
We produce
mainly apples
and wines, which
are used for
making fine
wines. Tourism
is another
important source
of income. |
O Consolador:
How did you
become a
Spiritist?
Through
suffering and
through a
desperate search
for a rational
explanation for
God. I came from
a dysfunctional
family. I was
the eldest
daughter of a
Catholic father
and a Protestant
mother. When my
brother was 19
he committed
suicide. For
some years, I
became a
catechist, and
later I spent a
few months in a
convent. But I
couldn´t find
the answers I
was looking for
and simply left
everything
behind. I
continue to
question, with a
number of
internal
conflicts. God
didn´t make
sense to me, as
He seemed to
prefer some of
his sons over
the others. And
that is
something I
wasn´t able to
accept. How
could I trust
God when He had
already decided
that I would
have a miserable
life, while
others around me
had everything,
all the joy?
Thankfully, God
didn´t give up
on me and
allowed me to
meet the Spirist
Doctrine, which
brought to me
all the answers
to the questions
that had been
tormenting my
soul.
O Consolador:
How many
Spiritist
Centres do you
have in São
Joaquim?
As far as I
know, we have
three truly
Spiritist
institutions.
They all do an
amazing job,
offering
assistance to
those who are
suffering. The
three Spiritist
Centres of São
Joaquim offer
fraternal
assistance to
those who in
need, healing
and weekly
lectures to the
wider public.
O Consolador:
What are the
main activities
of your Spiritst
Centre, André
Luiz?
We have regular
lectures, open
to a wider
public, we offer
healing to those
in need and we
study the main
works of the
Doctrine – the
books of Allan
Kardec,
Emmanuel, André
Luiz and Chico
Xavier and other
well respected
authors. We also
try to offer
guidance for
those who come
to us for the
first time on
how to do the
Gospel in the
Home. We opened
our doors on
November, 25th,
1998. Our Centre
was founded by
my husband,
Ronaldo, by me
and three
friends. The
area we have is
not big, but we
are in a nice
location,
surrounded by
beautiful
nature.
O Consolador:
What are the
main events you
organise and
host in the city
and what are
your efforts to
publicize the
Spiritist
message?
We have a books´
fair, twice a
year, a
Spiritist Week
in the first
half of the
year, when we
invite Spiritist
speakers from
the region, we
leave reading
material
(leaflets etc.)
in some of the
main shops and
we have a scheme
of lending books
in our region.
And more
recently we
began to receive
the
transmissions
from the
Spiritist radio
network, Rádio
Boa Nova.
O Consolador:
What do you
think of the
attention
Spiritism has
been getting in
the media
lately?
For many of us,
the awakening to
spiritual life
is slow. But the
debate of
Spiritist issues
in the Brazilian
media in the
last few years
is like seeds
being sown. They
will germinate
in due time.
O Consolador:
How about
Spiritist
literature? How
is the exchange
of books and
ideas between
the various
Spiritist
centres?
We have been
trying to work
on that, to
encourage the
exchange of
books and ideas.
The results so
far have been
very positive.
O Consolador:
What other
charitable work
do you carry
out?
We have
campaigns for
the donation and
distribution of
winter clothes
and food, we
provide
assistance to
poor children,
who come to us
every Saturday
for our
evangelisation
sessions and for
a meal. We also
provide
assistance to
those in our
jails and
hospitals – not
only giving them
medicines and
much needed
clothes, but
also fraternal
assistance,
someone for them
to talk to, to
discuss their
problems with.
O Consolador:
What else would
you like to add?
The harvest
field of Christ
is big and
requires the
help and
assistance of
all Spiritist
Institutions.
Let us be good
companions to
each other,
friends,
brothers and
sisters. But let
us respect the
needs and
different
aspects of each
Spiritist
Centre. That is
the only way
forward.
O Consolador:
Your final
thoughts…
“Watch and pray
so that you will
not fall into
temptation,”
Jesus said
(Mathew, 26:41),
alerting us to
the fact that we
must be careful
in every stage
of our lives and
making it clear
that we will
collect the
legacy left by
ourselves.
Therefore, we
must be
disciplined and
persevere in the
faith we have
embraced, not
being ashamed to
show how special
Jesus is in our
lives.
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