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