One of the main purposes of our group is to forge links and build bridges with groups and centers around the world. At the start of 2019 we were presented with a wonderful opportunity to inaugurate our first meeting of spiritualist groups abroad. It was during a professional trip that a member of our group was able to meet the Las Vegas Spirits! Really, can you meet Spiritualists in Las Vegas?
Often all it takes is a little willpower and trust in others to experience moments intenser and richer than you had ever estimated.
A few minutes of internet research were enough to find a Spiritist center in Las Vegas. A few e-mails later and our meeting was set. We were then moved to learn that two centers had been created simultaneously and independently of one another in October 2017, the Allan Kardec Spiritist Society of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Christian Spiritist Center.
You have to stand on your own two feet to accomplish things in a city like Las Vegas.
The Allan Kardec Spiritist Society of Las Vegas group was created by Luiz and Vera and Philipp and Rubia, a group of Brazilians and Colombians living in the United States.
Although the group was on hiatus during the end of year celebrations and the beginning of the year, many of its members being back in their respective countries, we were warmly received by Philipp, Rubia, their children and friends, who welcomed us one evening.
Above the cultural abundance in our exchanges, we also had a common language and culture: Spiritism, as codified by Allan Kardec. Our conversation quickly focused on an exchange of methods and on understanding our activities and the enthusiasm that drive us.
Philipp was to be an inexhaustible source of valuable advice to help us create our Project 1868 Group.
The Allan Kardec Spiritualist Society is based around the study of the works of Allan Kardec and the philosophical aspect of the Doctrine as well as how it is applied to everyday life.
The time of year and our schedule meant that we couldn’t attend one of the Las Vegas’s group’s study evenings. We will however maintain a strong link and meet with them again next year if organization permits. We also hope to exchange content that we produce respectively.
On the Saturday, Carol, the president of the Las Vegas Spiritualist Center suggested to us to along to a charity event organized by the Las Vegas police department. Carol’s centre gives a great deal of importance to putting the concept of charity into action. This we have in common with her, because charitable actions are at the heart of our group. The voluntary event consisted of gathering together clothes, shoes and bedclothes and giving them out to the homeless and very poor of Las Vegas. This was an extremely emotional and enriching experience. We are unable to forget the gentleman who came to ask the group to pray for his wife, who was to undergo an important operation. As Carol led us in a thought and prayer chain, we all felt very touched, by the tears and thanks of this man and also as we were giving clothes out, as Carol and another member gave a prayer for us to support and ease our brothers and sisters under affliction.
We then spent a great deal of the day with Carol, and discovered the very structured program of the ALMA Brazilian Spirit School and the Christian Spirit Centres which gives tools and methods intended for the opening of Spirit Centres.
Finally, Carol gave us the honour of attending and actively participating in a study evening with a some of our group members. We mainly worked on a part of the book ‘ The Messengers’ by Chico Xavier. This was also a moment rich in exchanges, emotions and sharing with all the members of the centre.
We now hope to keep a link with both centers we met, to exchange texts and videos, have web conferences with them and above all see each other again in the USA or in France, where out American colleagues are most certainly welcome.