Impacto History

2011
Jan

Carly Samaniego attends Discipleship Training School at YWAM – San Jose, Costa Rica

March

Steve Samaniego, Managing Director of Vital Seed Ministries, Intl, visits Costa Rica for the first time to learn about YWAM. Vital Seed begins to invest in the Kingdom of God in Costa Rica through YWAM-SJ.
Vital Seed personnel make many trips to Costa Rica to advance the Kingdom.

2013
March

Steve Samaniego is shown by God the extent of fatherlessness in Costa Rica and Latin America. He discusses the burden with his son, Daniel, who has an idea to use baseball to introduce kids in Costa Rica to the Love of the Father.
Steve discusses the idea with Diego Silva, Director of YWAM Nicoya, who begins to arrange meetings to find possible cities in which to do the camp.

July

Steve and Diego visit Liberia, Costa Rica and meet with the local sports council. The sports council commits to helping Vital Seed with the baseball camp.
Steve begins to spread the word about the camp, which God quickly grows into much more than baseball.
God leads us to plan for worship services, bible distribution and baseball. God calls over 35 missionaries from various churches in Texas, plus YWAM – Nicoya and YWAM – San Jose to participate.
Tony del Rio accepts the call to become the “point man” for coordination between all the entities involved (Vital Seed, Texas churches, Liberia churches, Municipality, YWAM, Homes of Hope, Prepare International, etc.).
Ally Samaniego develops the first Impacto Costa Rica logo and t-shirt.

2014
Jan

Impacto Costa Rica begins with much difficulty:
- Sports council did not follow through on their commitments
- God makes it work anyway
First chur ch to participate: Iglesia Sion
Pastors meeting at Boyeros on Tuesday resulted in reconciliations and commitments to see the Kingdom come to Liberia
60+ kids participate in baseball camp
Evening worship led by Chove and YWAM School of Worship
Over 600 homes visited and given bibles around the baseball field
1000 meals served
Mayor visit
TV station visit
Impacto a major success, praise God!

July

2015
Jan

conference, business conference

July

Discipleship School from Abilene- 2-week mission involving Impacto Barrios and sports camps
Impacto Barrios from Iglesia Bethel and Iglesia Tierra Deseable
- Very successful

Dec/Jan

2016
July

2017
Jan

April

July

Beltway Park Church from Abilene sends youth group
Betenbough Homes from Lubbock sends team to build home
Sports camps for over 300 kids at University of Costa Rica
Prayer and bible distribution continues in Barrio San Rafael
- Over 5,000 bibles distributed to date….about 6,000 more to go
Launching YWAM-Liberia
Reaffirming commitment and focus on discipleship
Basketball outreach growing with support of local coaches
Marriage seminar a major success
Prepare International schools operating with 35 students

2018
Jan

July

Youth sports camps at University of Costa Rica
Sports camps attended by over 300 kids
Missionary teams from various parts of the US and Latin America
YWAM Liberia in process of being launched
Yoga camp very successful in Liberia soccer stadium
Bible distribution and prayer: Over 300 homes, reaching total of 6000 homes
Open air campaign in partnership with Iglesia Bethel…Mark Turner, evangelist
- Over 100 people give their lives to the Lord

2019
Jan

July

IMPACTO COSTA RICA HISTORY