Academia El Verbo
Supporting the Ministry of Christian Education
El Verbo Academy is a private Christian Institution serving students from preschool to graduation. It is a ministerial branch of MCM, the same organization that runs Campamento El Encuentro. El Verbo sit in the heart of Nueva Suyapa, a large community outside the capital city of Tegucigalpa with roughly 48,000 citizens, but no sewage or reliable water systems, and few educational institutions to cover the academics needs. A developing community, Nueva Suyapa is characterized by domestic violence, unemployment, and limited education opportunities. In the absence of employment, many young people seek refuge and easy money in gangs or illegal businesses, perpetuating insecurity in the different sectors. Many of the students at El Verbo have home lives accompanied by the influence of drugs, sexual abuse, family violence, child exploitation, and begging. Given this sad reality, El Verbo seeks to not only provide an education to its students, but also help instruct them in biblical values to positively influence their lives and decisions, as well as their families'. In a community with high levels of illiteracy, many parents do not understand the importance of education and the opportunities it provides, limiting their children's opportunity and right to study. As an educational institution, El Verbo is committed to providing quality education with Christian values, understanding that each child is called by God to form a generation that will make a difference in their community and the nation of Honduras.
BCAM partners with El Verbo in their mission through our sponsor-a-student program, which seeks to pair generous donors from the States with families in need in Honduras. We also work towards institutional goals through our Committee on Development and Advancement, which helps in areas such as teacher training, biblical integration, curriculum development, and more.
General Facts
Students
Academia El Verbo educates students from Preschool through 11th grade, which is the final year of high school in Honduras. Grades range from about 40 to 60 students, with from 20 to 40 students per class. Students are required to bring their own breakfast and lunch each day.
Tuition
As a ministry to its families, El Verbo asks each family to only pay what they can to cover the cost of their student's education. Some families are able to cover the full cost of $150/month to enroll their student, while others require a full scholarship for the total amount in order to enroll.
Community Ministry
With an average monthly income of $220, many families in Nueva Suyapa struggle to meet their children's basic needs, making education an afterthought. The school serves as a source of hope for families desperate to give their children an opportunity at a better life.
Teachers
Being a ministry, El Verbo relies largely on donations to supplement the costs not covered by student tuition. As such resources are scarce, leading to teacher salaries below Honduran minimum wage. Most teachers see their jobs as a call to ministry.
Sponsor a Student
Due to the economic demographics of the community El Verbo serves, many of the students who attend El Verbo would not be able to do so without financial assistance. We partner with El Verbo in this ministry, allowing our supporters to adopt a student to sponsor in their academic journey.
Committee on Development & Advancement
Created out of a desire to help El Verbo best serve its students and community, our committee seeks to walk alongside El Verbo staff and faculty in all areas, including fundraising, marketing, curriculum development, teacher training, and more. The committee is mostly comprised of current or former educators with experience and expertise in private Christian education.
Jenny Brady
The daughter of missionaries, Jenny spent her childhood in Honduras. After graduating high school from Academia Los Pinares, she returned to the States and now works as the Senior Director of Community Engagement at Legacy Christian Academy. After 25 years of experience in Christian education serving as a teacher, administrator, member of leadership teams, and consultant, Jenny understands how to balance the needs of institutions as a whole with the needs of diverse individuals. Her greatest passion is for people to grow closer to God through their understanding of imago Dei. Jenny lives in Texas with her family but still considers Honduras her second home and returns often to carry out her family's ministerial efforts there.
Callie Brady
Callie is a third-year at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Marketing and earning University Honors each semester. She plans to attend law school in the fall of 2026, aspiring to dedicate her career to advancing pro-life and pro-family causes. Callie’s frequent travel to Honduras began at age four. Witnessing her family’s work and incredible legacy in Honduras fuels her own desire to serve where the Lord calls her. Callie is an active member of several organizations, including Horns for Life, Hill House Christian Study Center, and her church’s Spanish ministry.
Morgan Bryant
After living and working in Honduras on and off for thirteen years in various capacities, Morgan now runs a nonprofit in Honduras that provides support to orphans transitioning into life outside orphanages and partners with other ministries in funding special projects. She splits her time between the States and Honduras, making frequent trips to continue her work with her community there, including her children in and out of the orphanages. A former high school teacher, Morgan also holds a Master of Science in Educational Psychology - Family Policy and Program Administration. She is passionate about Honduran child welfare and doing what she can with what she has to help those in need.
Janet Hardage
A missionary kid, Janet lived in Honduras from the ages of five to eighteen and graduated from Academia Los Pinares before returning to the states to pursue her degree and career in bilingual education. She previously worked as an ESL teacher and bilingual reading interventionist, and currently holds the position of multilingual facilitator, where she oversees her school's compliance to state standards and supports teachers in accommodations for their English learners. Janet is excited about the opportunity to join her love of bilingual education with her love of her Honduran community at El Verbo.
Amy Lumley
Amy Lumley has worked in Christian education for 24 years as a science teacher, mentor, and department chair. She loves to teach students the beauty of God’s creation and that every person is created in the image of God and has a purpose. With over two decades of experience in private Christian education, Amy is an authority on organizational structure, teacher-student relationships, and biblical integration. Amy currently homeschools her two sons and is active in Texas and Arkansas homeschool co-op groups.
Lori Nappier
Lori has an unparalleled reputation as an outstanding educator in the area of mathematics. She is known for her ability to reach any student and has a particular talent for teaching difficult concepts in ways that are accessible and understandable for all students. Lori is passionate about encouraging students to discover who God made them to be. Lori is a dedicated supporter of the Lord's work in Honduras and looks forward to helping create top tier academic opportunities for students in Nueva Suyapa.
Monica Navarro
Born and raised in Colombia, Monica moved to the States as a young adult to purse her education and career. She earned her PhD. in Hispanic and Latin American Languages and went on to work in Christian Education for 28 years. She has worked at all levels, from middle and high school to college. She now works as a middle school Spanish teacher, but has previously been department head, AP teacher and reader, and senior director of Spanish immersion. Monica is passionate about making students feel seen, loved, and encouraged to step into the work God has called them to.
Marc Rose
Marc has an extensive teaching career spanning 19 years and numerous subjects, including Science, Logic and Worldviews, and English. He has worked 14 years in private Christian education and enjoys the development of biblically integrated curriculum. Marc has a Master of Theology and a unique understanding of how to infuse biblical principles into all areas of curriculum. Marc is passionate about developing students' and teachers' understanding of and experience with God, as well as student-teacher relationships.