About

My hope and my heart is to witness the transformational work of Jesus, who is the Creator, Sustainer, and Reconciler of all, in the country of Nicaragua and in my own life.

As a Missionary Ventures Field Specialist, I will be a self-supporting, full-time missionary serving as a part of the MV team in Nicaragua. MV is an interdenominational mission organization with a vision for “Involving People to Impact Nations for Christ”.  I feel very blessed to be joining an international organization, and a team in Nicaragua, through whom the Lord has been working for quite some time.

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, following closely behind Haiti.  In the last three decades, Nicaragua has seen dictatorship, Marxism, and Capitalism – all promising better things but leaving the country destitute.  The political and economic spheres have been defined by corruption, power struggles, fatalism, and economic dependency.  In the country of 5.7 million people, 54% of the population is unemployed or underemployed, and the average income for a family of 4 is $120/month.

In a country that belongs to its youth (half of Nicaraguans are under the age of 20), Nicaragua’s public education system is broken.  Officially, 20% of the population is illiterate, although among rural poor the rate is 41%.  Teachers are underpaid, class sizes are large and lacking basic teaching materials and supplies.  The education system is plagued by a Socialist methodology set up during the Sandinista era which employs rote memorization and very little higher-order thinking.  50% of students do not pass grade 4.  31% of girls and 45 % of boys do not pass grade 6.  Only 30% of the nation finishes high school and 8% go on to obtain a college degree.  Whereas public schools are supposedly free to nationals, parents are asked to pay numerous fees, or students are denied test results or grades.

Quality education opportunities in Matagalpa with a Christian emphasis are very limited.  Currently, there is one Christian school operating in the city offering classes from Pre-K through Sixth grade.  In response to the need in the community for academic excellence with a Christian foundation the Association of Nicaragua Christian Academy began researching the possibilities of opening a 3rd campus in Matagalpa.  

Nicaragua Christian Academy was founded in 1991 in Managua to educate the children of missionaries.  In 2005 the second school was founded, NCA Nejapa. NCA Matagalpa exists to equip the children of Christian parents with the spiritual discernment, moral courage, and academic excellence to make an impact on society with their Christian life motivated by a true love of God. NCA Matagalpa seeks not only to give quality education to the children in Matagalpa but also to be a model and mentor school to other Christian schools in the region.

NCA Matagalpa will open in February of 2013 with first though seventh grade with plans to add a grade or two each year as God provides infrastructure, students and teachers.