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Seeing Discipleship — People Practicing Eternal Life in Costa Rica
I experienced a place where the uncommon concept of disciple making is being carried out in an astonishing way. It’s in the Central American country of Costa Rica. It’s called Casa Vidanet. My wife, Ernie, and I just spent a few days there.
Because it is rare disciple making is difficult to define. Jesus said to make disciples, but I don’t think we really know what He meant.
There’s a strong sense of spirituality at Casa Vidanet. From the things that they say and do it’s obvious that the people there really love Jesus, each other, and any visitors who come by. At Casa Vidanet I saw people being trained to continually listen to and obey the risen Jesus Christ.
Every September Casa Vidanet welcomes about 20 people 18 and older to a 10-month disciple building experience. Half of them are from the USA and Canada and the other half from Latin America. They live together, have their meals together, worship together, pray together, work together, play together, and listen to God together in a bilingual, multi-cultural community for 10 months.
After 3 months of training, they are sent in missions teams to 4 different Central American countries for 5 months. There they focus on showing people love, kindness, compassion, and service. When they return to the Casa Vidanet base, they serve as leaders and welcome various youth groups from North America to 10-day missions experiences during their final 2 months.
Many of the Vidanet leaders and staff are graduates of the experience. They are young people who radiate excitement about humbly loving God and joyously serving people. Their lives demonstrate that Spirit-led discipleship is a reality that can be seen, felt, experienced, and continually surrendered to throughout each day.
To learn more about this life-empowering discipleship experience, click here.
Go to: https://vidanet.org/vida220/
JD—as a professional musician who has worked in music 🎼 for many years, I have to notice that your singing is better. Take a bow, or better yet praise God!
Definitely need to make sure that the discipling is in the right direction. I deceived discipleship is folks practicing in life what Christ would have us do. It is fellowship in the sense of people doing things together.
There are people that do lots of things together. Sometimes good sometimes not so good. I would say the good is constructive and builds up others and admits we are not God. The bed pretty much does the opposite. They may say there is no God which is essentially making them their own gods. They may decide to destroy something or criticize something.
J.D. –
Love the Wake Up Call daily! Took your advice and sent the link to my Facebook friends this morning. I have been on Facebook for a number of years, but believe this is the FIRST time I have ever personally POSTED!
jeanie in Kansas City
J.D., thank you for illuminating 1st John in such a powerful way! I have a new appreciation for this wonderful book of the Bible!
Powerful, powerful message from 1 John! Thank you JD for all you do for the Kingdom. Your readers and listeners send a double portion of encouragement your way this day! PRESSON brother!
Let’s sing it together this morning! Christ only always, living in me!
JOY, david
Just so you don’t think that I only write when I disagree about something that J.D. shares, I wanted to comment on how much I LOVE where the Lord has taken us on this journey with J.D. through 1 John. I have long said that eternal life was more about quality than quantity, and that it begins when we are “born again” rather than when we die. However, the insights that Jesus IS eternal life, and that our lives here in our physical bodies on this earth are not “preparation” for eternal life, but rather “practicing” eternal life, are, in my humble opinion, Holy Spirit inspired!
It seems such a simple concept, in retrospect, and yet it has eluded us – at least, most of us. We drop into thinking of “eternal life” as being only about what happens after we die, or in some cases, after the final Resurrection, so easily that we don’t even notice. Then, we interpret other scriptures from that understanding, and it impacts how we live our daily lives.
Methodists have long championed the idea of “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, ON EARTH as it is in heaven,” as being our guide for the Christian life now, rather than after Jesus’ return. This insight into eternal life fits nicely into that understanding.
Anyway, enough rambling! Lol!! Great stuff, J.D. Thank you for what you do!! Blessings!!!