Our Story
The story of CISA begins with two Costa Rican worship musicians, Héctor Soto and Daniel Montoya. After meeting in San José while serving in ministry and leading worship, they felt a shared calling to take the Gospel beyond their borders. In 2002, they moved to Canada to minister in churches throughout Ottawa and nearby communities, pursuing a dream God had placed in their hearts. After a year of fruitful ministry, they both sensed a clear and powerful calling from God: return home. They were led to the rural region of Turrialba, where deep physical, spiritual, and educational needs existed among both the Indigenous and local communities. That same year, they founded a ministry called La Misión — a place of service, outreach, and hope.
As time went on, volunteers and missionaries from Canada and the United States began coming to help. However, a practical challenge emerged: most of the visiting missionaries didn’t speak Spanish, which meant constant translation and limited impact in the community. That’s when God planted a transformational idea. What if they trained missionaries in Spanish and culture first, before sending them into ministry?
With their combined academic knowledge and ministry passion, Héctor and Daniel began developing Spanish curriculum and teaching their first students in 2004. One year later, God brought April Binnie, a young Canadian missionary with a heart to serve. With her help, CISA launched its very first website in mid-2006 — and in October 2006, the academy officially welcomed its first international students. April continued to grow with the ministry and has faithfully served as Program Coordinator from those early years to today.
From that humble beginning, the Christian Immersion Spanish Academy (CISA) has continued to grow into one of the most respected Christian language immersion programs in Central America — welcoming students of all ages and all callings, from short-term mission volunteers to future pastors, teachers, healthcare workers, families, and individuals from every walk of life.
And while our programs now serve many different types of learners, our heart remains the same: to equip those whom God is calling to love, serve, and build meaningful relationships with Spanish-speaking communities — wherever He sends them.
We believe language is a bridge. And crossing that bridge together is a lifelong calling.