Henry & Elizabeth Vargas
In 1998 Hurricane Mitchell hit Nicaragua leaving the country devastated and in much need of help. Many people came to the aid of the Nicaraguan people. In particular a group of people from North Carolina traveled to assist in the aftermath of the storm. Henry Vargas was among this team and he fell in love with the people and the country. He knew after this trip that God was calling him and his family into ministry. He knew God wanted them in Nicaragua so a year later after much prayer and support his family and him moved to Nicaragua. Once they arrived in Nicaragua the vision and dream was born to open a school that was to be called Managua Christian Academy. They wanted to provide an education for families that could not afford to pay for a private school and be able introduce the word of God and show them the love of Jesus.
In 2004 in Managua in El Barrio Los Sábalos they began to build what would be Managua Christian Academy (MCA), which grew and thrived until their building and property was completely destroyed by flooding in 2010. For a few years, the school continued on by meeting under canopies in a parking lot, then by renting. But then God provided a property to buy, which felt like the promised land and a new beginning. That is when they changed the name of the school to MCA Restore.
They are committed to providing a high level of education and bringing God’s Message of love and salvation to every student. Christ is at the absolute center of their ministry and they are investing time into their lives everyday by showing and teaching the love of Christ. Not only are they meeting physical needs but also spiritual needs for the students and their families. They are preparing men and women by giving them values, a new academic standard, knowledge of the Bible, English, philosophy and more. The goal is to give them the skills they need for life and be disciples of Christ. Their vision is to change the next generation: they emphasize integrity, honesty, purity, and family values. They seek to accomplish this by teaching the Bible and the ways of Jesus and building relationships to disciple the students that accept Jesus as their Savior.
Henry and Elizabeth—along with their four daughters—are currently in the U.S. for a season, and are working to raise funds for MCA.