Mestre Adamir, a true friend

Francinete Alves de Oliveira Giffoni*

| July 31, 2018

Within the traditions and the values cultivated throughout the União do Vegetal, friendship and the promptitude to serve are qualities observed in Mestre Francisco Adamir Lima (Mestre Adamir), who today would be turning 86 years old. Since the beginning of his path in the UDV, Mestre Adamir was present in day-to-day life with Mestre Gabriel, collaborating in what was necessary, with elevated spiritual sensibility, goodness and love in his heart.

When he would be directing a Session of the Vegetal and a brother asked for license to ask a question, he would say: “Ready!”. And then he was ready to answer. One day when he was having a conversation with Mestre Mesquita (today the Assistant Central Mestre of the 17^th Region), he said, “We have to always listen to the brothers because we don’t know what they want”. Moreover, the attitude of listening, with respect and availability, was a defining characteristic of Mestre Adamir.

During the time spent with Mestres, Counselors, and disciples, he recognized the value of each one of them. He always maintained an open dialog and very close relationships with the Mestres that, like him, received the Star of Mestre of the União do Vegetal from the hands of Mestre Gabriel. He pursued an attitude of humility and respect when he encountered them in Sessions and meetings.

In one of these meetings, the Convention of Mestres of the UDV of 1985 in Núcleo Samaúma (Araçariguama-SP), he proposed to create a department responsible for watching over the Doctrine of the União do Vegetal. Mestre Márcio da Rós also participated in the creation of this department. According to Mestre Adamir, they had “the same idea” and Mestre Márcio da Rós reminded him to present the proposal in the Convention of 1985. After the proposal was approved, the first gathering of what is today the Council of Recordation of the Teachings of Mestre Gabriel was held in Núcleo Mestre Rubens (Jaru-RO) in April 1987 with the presence of all the Mestres formed by Mestre Gabriel.

Click here and read the UDV Blog article about the 30-year mark since the first gathering of the Counsel of Recordation.

Rapid trajectory in the UDV

Mestre Adamir was born on July 31^st, 1932 in the city of Ubajara, Ceará. He passed away on May 28^th, 2001 in Fortaleza, Ceará. In 1964, he married Maria da Conceição Ferreira Lima (Counselor Conceição). The had five children: Alkimir, Nociley, Solidey, Adamira and Natália. In his first Session, directed by Mestre Braga he heard the Story of Hoasca (on November 24^th, 1969) and 15 days after, which was the second time he drank the Vegetal, he associated with the UDV. He started to visit the house of Mestre Gabriel frequently and go to the Sessions on Saturdays and Wednesdays. On February 10^th, 1970, Mestre Gabriel convoked him to the Instructive Body and on February 28^th of the same year, to the Body of Counsel, in an Instructive Session in the Brickyard of Mestre Gabriel.

In November of 1970 he accompanied Mestre Gabriel on a trip to Fortaleza for health treatment. On March 27^th of 1971, he received the Star of the Mestre. A few days before, on February 19^th, 1971, Mestre Gabriel who was in Fortaleza and still in the hospital, wrote him a letter beginning with these words, “Dear friend, and Mestre, Adamir, Light, Peace and Love”. In this way demonstrating that he considers him a Mestre and a friend as well.

Mestre Adamir and Mestre Sidon, Friends Forever

Mestre Adamir and Mestre Francisco dos Anjos Feitosa (Mestre Sidon) resided in Jaru when the Núcleo Mestre Rubens was founded in 1974 with Mestre Adamir being the Representative Mestre for 13 years. With respect to the friendship between Mestre Adamir and Mestre Sidon, Counselor Losa, the wife of Mestre Sidon, says, “It’s like they were two united brothers, neither wanted to be greater than the other, and in the teachings of the União, one complemented the other”. This is true. It was evident in how they spent time together and the caring attitudes both had for the União. Demonstrating the friendship and solidarity, they had for one another.

In that period, Mestre Adamir bought a piece of land with native Chacrona and Mariri and developed an extensive plantation. As the plantation became larger, he helped the Núcleos of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, realizing Preparos, carrying out the mensagem and taking seedlings to the plantation. “Almost every month he would travel, bringing mensagems of Mariri”, says his son Solidey.

He also received many visitors that came to search for mensagems of Mariri or to realize preparos in Jaru. Counselor Conceição remembers that one time 72 brothers arrived from São Paulo with Mestre Raimundo Pereira da Paixão (Mestre Paixão) and all of them stayed in the house of Mestre Adamir. These were festive moments of confraternity with the closest Núcleos, strengthening the friendship between the brotherhoods of the North and the South.

Frequent Visits to Ceará    

I met Mestre Adamir in Fortaleza, in 1985. He was bringing a mensagem of Chacrona from Jaru with Mestre Sidon to a preparo. Because he was Cearnese and very dedicated to his family, he frequently visited his relatives in Ubajara and would always bring Chacrona from Jaru, direct Sessions, transmitting teachings and orientations. After, I met Counselor Conceição when she came to Fortaleza for the birth of her daughter Natália on January 11^th, 1986.

This is where a friendship blossomed between the family of Mestre Adamir and of Mestre Sidon. In a conversation with Mestre Sidon, he said to me that Counselor Losa would have liked to live close to the sea, but that he couldn’t leave the Núcleo in Jaru, because he felt responsible for having launched that seed together with Mestre Adamir and that he needed to continue caring for it.

In Fortaleza, Central Mestre of the 11^th Region

At the end of the 90’s, Mestre Adamir needed to give more attention to his health, so he started to realize more trips to Fortaleza, where brothers who were doctors attended him with dedication and care, the same way he took care of Mestre Gabriel, many years before in the same city. As a doctor and a friend of the family, I also participated in that care. We lived moments of joy in which he inspired us, especially when we were traveling with my husband, Mestre Vicente de Paula Giffoni Filho, to participate in sessions in Natal, Caruaru, Recife, Sobral, Crato and Teresina.

In one of these trips, Mestre Adamir intuitively foresaw the birth of my daughter, Flora. He said smiling and looking at me, “You have the face of a pregnant women”. I said jokingly, “If that is true, you sir will be the godfather”. And that’s how it happened. His goddaughter was born on January 7th, 1996. Since then, he is our compadre and Counselor Conceição is our dear “comadre”.

At that time they organized themselves to reside in Ceará. They bought an apartment close to the sea, a piece of land and brought their children. On the January 6 th, 2000, Mestre Adamir received from the hands of the then General Representative Mestre, José Luiz de Oliveira, the position of Central Mestre of the 11th Region (Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão). His constant presence came to strengthen the friendship built over many years with the brotherhood of that region. We had opportunities to know more about his spirituality, observing how much he perceived people’s feelings, the way in which he explained the importance of the mysteries of words and the true feeling of fidelity to the teachings of the Mestre.

The brotherhood of Teresina that began the work of building the Núcleo, decided that on July 21st, 2002 (his birthday) it would receive the name of “Mestre Adamir”, a branching of Núcleo Mestre Sidon (Sobral-CE). And today we have in the 11th region two Núcleos with the name of these inseparable friends, Mestre Adamir and Mestre Sidon, following the same purpose of friendship and union that they learned with Mestre Gabriel.

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>>>Read too: Mestre Adamir, a pacifist

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*Francinete Alves de Oliveira Giffoni é do integrante do Corpo do Conselho do Nucleo Linha de Tucunacá(Fortaleza-Ceará)

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Translation Coordinator: Isabel Cavalcante, member of the Body of Counsel of Núcleo Jardim Florescendo (Gainesville, FL – USA) | Translated by Nicholas James Swartz, member of the Cadre of Socio of Núcleo Jardim Florescendo (Gainesville, FL – USA) | Revised by Patrick Medina, member of the Instructive Body of Núcleo Claridade Divina (Seattle, WA – USA)