Interviewing someone is a funny act. You sit in front of someone, ask questions, and expect them to answer you honestly. I, who have always been delighted to hear stories, see this as an opportunity to give the interviewee a voice, to make their story known, and allow it to be recorded for the future. This is a task that I highly value.
My interviewee today is Pastor Carlos Campitelli, an Argentine who is kind and dedicated to his work. I met him four years ago while covering a youth event in Paraguay and he, being the leader of young Adventists for eight countries in South America, was one of my main sources.
Campitelli starts by telling me that he was born in Paraná. I get a fright. “I thought you were Argentine,” I say. And then comes the explanation: Paraná is the capital of the state of Entre Ríos, in Argentina. It was where he lived until he was 15 years old before going to study at a boarding school in Buenos Aires, not far from his hometown. He also studied in South Africa for a year and then returned to Argentina to study theology, social work, and education.
Campitelli was born into an Adventist family, surrounded by missionaries and countless stories of overseas evangelism that undoubtedly influenced him in his decision to be a pastor and the desire to serve God in distant lands. And the opportunity came before he even graduated. Campitelli completed the evangelistic requirements of the course in northeastern Brazil, specifically in the interior of Maranhão.
“I got there and didn't speak much Portuguese,” he tells me. “Then the person in charge turned to me and said: 'From now on, for the rest of the month, preaching is your responsibility'. I really needed God's help at that time.”
When he finished college, despite receiving other calls to Argentina and Italy, it was in Maranhão that he started his ministry. He also had the support of his wife, Lislei Freire. She, born in São Paulo, met him at the Universidad Adventista del Plata where she studied psychology.
“It is interesting that on our wedding day it was the Copa America final and Brazil was playing against Argentina, and I was not concerned with the game but with my marriage,” Campitelli says. It was June 25, 2004. While on the field it was Brazil vs. Argentina, inside the church, it was Brazil with Argentina forever and ever.
I risked asking who won the game and he immediately said it was Brazil, a game that was defined on penalties. "The bride was happy so I was happy too," he says, smiling.
Special Week: The Greatest Hope
In two decades of ministry, Campitelli tells me that what has most marked him today is the need to depend on God.
"You are not a complete being,” he says. “You need God to balance your life and to seek him is a daily exercise."
Between September 20 and 26, Campitelli was speaker for a special week entitled "The Greatest Hope: Prepare for a New Life," which broadcast on radio and TV Novo Tempo, in addition to internet broadcasts and a daily radio program. In his sermons, Campitelli emphasized the theme of dependence on God, something that has always been very present in his life. He expounded on this idea:
“I have always been, and am still, very adventurous. I traveled a lot as a backpacker when I lived in Africa, also here in South America, and at various times I said to God 'Lord, I thank you because I believe I have more than one angel who takes care of me'. Because I really went through many moments of danger and complex situations, especially in the middle of Africa, two years after the end of Apartheid. There were several situations of risk. Depending on God--letting him take care of the smallest things and knowing how to trust him--also helped me in future decisions, in the decisions I need to make today as a leader.”
During the special week A Maior Esperança (The Greatest Hope), Campitelli was accompanied by the presenter of the Life and Health program, Teru Gouveia, who addressed one of the eight natural remedies each night.
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