On December 30^th 2005, he was granted (alongside Divaldo Franco) the title of World Peace Ambassador, by the “Ambassade Universelle Pour la Paix” in Geneve, Switzerland – capital of the World Peace Organisation, linked to the United Nations. He became then the 206^th World Peace Ambassador. 

Who was Nilson? What type of man was he? 

Nilson was on earth a jovial and enchanting man, dedicated to good deeds ever since he came across Spiritism in 1945. At the time he was a sailor. He eventually became a telegraphist, working for the Post Office, and he finally got a job in a bank. He carried on in that job until retirement.

He was unusually hard working and a true handy man, very versatile; he was able to carry out all sorts of tasks in our organisation, fixing everything that required any care. He was the man behind the construction of the houses, the departments, the homes of the Mansão do Caminho community, looking after the electrics, plumbing and the entire infrastructure. Before he became a Spiritist at the age of 23, he had girlfriends and was even engaged to marry. But then he dedicated all his efforts to this job of love and barely had time to realise other aspirations. He was young and jovial, but serious and responsible, and was deeply esteemed and loved. 

How did your friendship begin? How did you meet? How did you begin the project of building the Mansão do Caminho? And what type of person was he? 

In 1945 I was a Portuguese teacher at a typing school, helping those who struggled a bit with our language. I was 18. Nilson and some friends enrolled in the school in February and I became their teacher. In the meantime, his father became seriously ill. I found out and offered to help and visit his father, having realised that he was suffering from Spiritual obsession (or Spiritual attachment), which had an impact on his physical health. I gave him healing, healing water, the Spiritual Benefactors advised him on how to proceed with the homeopathic treatment and when he finally recovered the whole family became Spiritist. The Mansão do Caminho project is the result of a vision I had when Nilson and I were on a train, coming back from a visit to a young woman suffering from Spiritual obsession. When I described to him what I had seen, he made a drawing and kept it, with all the details. The project became a reality around 1955… We bought an area of 86sq metres and he began to build the community following the blueprint he had kept. And that was the beginning of what is there today. The children used to live in a three-storey building, then called Orphanage, which was named Mansão do Caminho. Nilson was essentially a peaceful and hardworking man. 

Is it true that he used to ask you, Divaldo, lie down on the back seat of the car so you would not disturb him, as you could not distinguish the dead from the living (laughter…)? What other anecdotes would you like to share with us? 

It is true that when I was still educating my mediumship, it was so powerful that it made it difficult for me to distinguish what was material and objective and what was being perceived through paranormal powers. I used to see car crashes and got scared, which made Nilson indeed send me to the back of the car so I did not disturb him. And I have never learned to drive. Very often I would be introduced to a person and see their face. When I met the same person again, the face I could see had changed, which could be very embarrassing. It all depended on the Spirits who were alongside the person at that particular moment. 

What was the main role of Nilson in the Mansão do Caminho, what areas where under his direct responsibility?  

He had a key role at Mansão do Caminho. Not only he was hard working and a great, enthusiastic volunteer, but he was also the President of the “Caminho da Redenção” Spiritist Centre and all its departments, including the Mansão. He did not restrict his work to his assigned functions, however. He was always available to take on any jobs that came up, and there were plenty of them.

He did not sleep for long in order to fulfil all his commitments – never more than 4 ½ hours per day. 

Nilson was always in the rearguard, even though you and him moved ahead side by side. He gave you great support in your travelling around the world to disseminate Spiritism. What type of Spiritist was he, what were his main tasks within the Spiritist Movement, how would you define him as a Spiritist? 

As the good man he was, he never introduced himself. He was very discreet in every occasion, either in Salvador or when he travelled abroad. He was, however, my great support, the solidarity, and the friend for any situation. Despite having finished only primary school, he wrote and spoke very well. He was a true Spiritist, in the definition of Allan Kardec. 

He was granted a high award as a citizen of the world engaged in the defence of peace. How did it happen? 

We were both surprised in December 2005 by the announcement that we had been appointed World Peace Ambassadors. We never knew how it all happened at the World Peace Institute, in Geneva. 

According to a book published, Nilson was your brother in a previous life. You were both children of Joanna, wife of Chuza. Nilson and his mother, who is now your Spiritual guide, Joanna de Ângelis, were martyred at the time. What other links did you have with Nilson? 

Indeed, according to the Spiritual information we have received, he would have been burned alive with his mother, Joanna of Chuza, who would later identify herself as Joanna de Ângelis. According to the same sources, we would have returned to work together in the Christian faith in the times of Francis of Assisi, in Umbria, and later in Scotland... 

Nilson had serious health problems and passed away due to a cancer. All that suffering were expiation of previous errors or normal occurrences of someone living on earth, having chosen his trials? 

The health problems he had were the outcome of unhappy behaviour in previous lives, which he dealt with very well, without having ever complained. Nilson was always patient, a true example of resignation. 

Forty days after his discarnation, Nilson came back to send a spoken message through your mediumship. How was that moment? Did you watch or take part in his process of discarnation? 

We had agreed that when either of us had any problem, the other one would carry on with the work. Hence, during the final stages of his illness I kept my agenda of talks and lectures previously agreed. Whenever I was back, I spent all my time with him in hospital. When he passed away, I was not there and could not take part in the funeral. I was away, travelling. When I returned, I went straight to the cemetery to pray next to his tomb, without expressing the huge pain I felt and that is still there, albeit in a milder way. In the meantime, after his discarnation, I had a vision of Nilson. It was during a Peace and You Movement event and he came to me supported by Joanna de Ângelis. He waved to me, smiling. Later, in a moment of reflection, when I was going through huge pain, I heard his voice telling me: “Di, I don’t want you sad or depressed. Your happiness is very important to help other people…”

On the day of the voice message, I felt I was going deeper and deeper inside myself until he offered me the consoling words, which greatly refreshed my heart and my mind. When it happened, I was on an unconscious trance. 

Your final words on Nilson Pereira for the readers of Jornal de Espiritismo, please. 

I hope that the example of this noble and simple man become clear evidence that it is possible to live the Teachings of Jesus in modern times.

Author’s note:

The interview above with Divaldo Pereira Franco was done on December 2^nd 2013 by Jornal de Espiritismo, from Portugal, and published in its edition n. 63, March-April 2014. To find out more, please access:
http://artigosespiritaslucas.blogspot.pt/2014/03/nilson-pereira-um-homem-bom.html.  

We have also published a special report on Mansão do Caminho on September 1st 2013. Here is the link: http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano7/327/especial2.html.