Divaldo Franco is someone who uses of his mediumship to console millions of lives. He also uses the comfort of prayers to help other human beings. There was one occasion when a man threw himself in front of the train Divaldo was travelling with. Divaldo didn’t know how this man was called, but decided to add him into his list of prayers: he called me man from the train. Divaldo prayed for him for years and years….

         Many years later Divaldo felt a hand of a person laid on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a man smiling at him. This man said he came to help at that difficult time Divaldo was going through. Divaldo thanked this man and said he didn’t know him at all, but the man replied:

         "Do you remember the train accident you witnessed many years ago? I am the man from that train. Thanks to your prayers, I didn’t suffer as much as I would have suffered if you didn’t pray for me. You were the only person who interceded on my behalf during all these years here in Earth. I couldn’t stand so much suffering. I thought I was going mad. I now recall that in the space of a few seconds I was able to see the scene of the train approaching me…. I could feel the pain, the agony… When I thought this suffering was ending then I saw the train coming towards me again… Thank you, my brother. I am going to be the one who will help you.”

         This and many other stories about Divaldo Pereira Franco’s life can be found at the book O Semeador de Estrelas (translation: The Stars’ sower), by Suely Caldas Schubert.

         Raul Teixeira, who is a distinguished Spiritist speaker and philanthropist, donate all the money gathered from his book sales to charity work projects. In 1998, Prof. Teixeira founded "Remanso Fraterno", a non-profit organization which provides basic care and education for at-risk youth and their parents. Today, more than 650 people benefit from free medical, dental, and psychological care provided at "Remanso Fraterno" while receiving both an educational and moral support with which to improve their lives. This place is located 25 km from the centre of Niterói, Brazil.

         Bezerra de Menezes, when he was still a student of Medicine, was facing serious financial difficulties. He needed fifty thousand reis (old Brazilian currency), to pay his college tuition, his rent and other important expenses. His landlord was threatening to evict him without any further consideration. Desperate -- one of the rare times in which Bezerra felt despair – yet filled with faith, he raised his eyes to the on High and appealed to God.

         Few days after someone knocked at his door. It was a nice and refined young man who intended to hire him for some private Mathematics lessons. At first, Bezerra refused alleging that Mat was the subject that he disliked most, but the visitor insisted and finally, upon thinking about his desperate situation he agreed. The young man expressed his desire to pay for the classes in advance, and although Bezerra was reluctant to accept, he ended up agreeing with that. The young man gave him the amount of fifty thousand reis. They agreed on the day and hour for the beginning of the classes, and the visitor left - leaving Bezerra very happy and relieved, because he would be able to pay his rent and college tuition. Bezerra looked for books in the public library to prepare himself for the classes, but the young man never returned for the lessons.

         Please explain to the children that a good spirit came to help Bezerra. If they ask where the money came from, you can say it’s been transported from somewhere we don’t know, but it was not belonging to anyone at that time. It could be compared to a treasure that was found in the sea, for example.

         Chico Xavier endured many trials in his life of absolute devotion to the practice of his mission as a medium. Chico Xavier was misunderstood during his childhood and throughout his life. As a boy he was called "the haunted kid", lunatic and liar. The first and most devastating trial in his life was the orphanage. His mother died when he was five years old and he was left to have a heartfelt and suffering childhood. At the age of eleven he was already working in a textile factory due to the fact that his income would play an important role in the maintenance of a family of nine children.

         Left with nine kids to raise, his father, João Cândido Xavier, appealed to relatives to help. Xavier was sent to his godmother's house, Dona Ritinha, who proved to be a very mean and abusive guardian. She used to beat him up three times a day in predetermined hours so he would get rid of the "influences of the evil". Little Xavier used to bleed after the beatings and many times he would hide in the backyard. It was in one such occasion, he said later, that the spirit of his mother appeared and told him: "Be patient, son. You need to grow up stronger for the work. And he who doesn't suffer will not learn how to fight." Instead of becoming a rebel, Chico Xavier grew up as a very resigned man, always with a smile in his serene face.

         At seven years old, Chico left his godmother's house to return to live with his father, who had married for a second time. To assist in funding the expenses of the house, the boy worked full time and studied at public schools. As a young man he was persecuted and accused of mystification, despite having given his entire life to ease the pain of many families who lost their loved ones.

         This story and many others are found at the book Lindos Casos de Chico Xavier (Beautiful stories from Chico Xavier) from Ramiro Gama, edited by Lake.

Izaias Claro works with children and adolescents with special needs at the spiritist community Joanna de Angelis. There exist a shelter children and adolescents and a well organised spiritist centre. There is publishing house at this spiritist community, which records CD’s and distributes spiritists messages. This community also has an Accident and Emergency project, where patients are seen and spiritual surgeries take place. This assistance has helped hundreds of people. The performing of paranormal surgery happens without the use of surgical instruments. Patients remain fully conscious and experience no pain. This place offers emotional and spiritual treatment; and the patients improve massively from these spiritual surgeries.

Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, Sir William Crookes Spiritist Society linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.