Global Missions
Philippines } Children & Education
 The Philippines initiative focuses on delivering hope through education. In July 2006 and June 2007, HPUMC sent mission teams to the Philippines to assess the needs of the Philippine people. They returned enlivened with a desire to bring hope to the children of the Philippines through education.
The team found extraordinary need and decided to focus our support on three ministries: Don Marcos Elementary, Palawan Methodist Children's Shelter, and Christian Praise Children's Home. HPUMC Global Outreach judged these ministries to be doing great things on shoe-string budgets. In 2007, HPUMC provided funds for school uniforms, salaries for teachers, computers, and for the basic needs of orphans. The 2007 team took school supplies and curriculum for use at these locations and made contact with another ministry operating in Manila. Visit the website for Christian Praise Children's Home.
Southeast Asia } Nepal
 Nepal is a beautiful and exotic country with a unique history of Christian discipleship. Until the 1950s, Nepal was a Hindu kingdom, closed to outsiders. When the country was finally opened to the rest of the world, an influx of belief systems flooded in, including Christianity. Not all of the groups entering Nepal have been peaceful nor have they improved the living situation.
Through a partnership with HPUMC, young Nepalese and Indian pastors established a vital outreach to the country of Nepal. They created a center for Christian education and evangelism which has invited, trained and sent out new pastors to the mission field.
In its short life, the outreach ministry has established 29 new Christian communities and multiplied the Nepalese Church by more than 6,000 new members. The pastors have also created a two-year degree program, which graduated its first class of 22 missionaries in 2005. HPUMC continues to support the ministry through prayer and financial gifts.
Zimbabwe } Africa University
 Africa University is a United Methodist-related institution located in Zimbabwe, 17 km outside Mutare, Zimbabwe's third largest city. It is private and Pan-African. There are currently students and staff from at least 25 African countries. Since the first graduation in 1994, more than 2,000 graduates have spread throughout the continent of Africa influencing countless lives in agriculture, business, theology, education, and health, and are offering new hope for peace among all the countries. The mission of Africa University is to provide quality education within a Pan-African context through which persons can acquire general and professional knowledge and skills, grow in spiritual maturity, develop sound moral values, ethics and leadership qualities.
HPUMC has supported Africa University since its inception in 1992 through apportionments and is now providing scholarships annually for 2 AU students.
Please support Africa University by making a financial contribution through the Africa University Development Office.
The North Texas Annual Conference of the UMC also supports AU - Dallas Morning News Article - July 2009 - Methodists see dream of health clinic realized in Zimbabwe
Chihuahua, Mexico } Amor Ministries
 By far HPUMC's most popular international mission trip, more than 2,000 HPUMC members and guests have participated in the construction of more than 100 houses over the last decade. Through our on-going partnership with Amor Ministries, we are able to provide a great entry-level international mission experience where participants get to see the fruits of their labor. When we arrive on the first day, there's little more than flat ground, but by the time we leave, their stands a new home that will provide warmth, protection, safety and security, and hope for a Mexican family.
Amor Ministries is based in San Diego, CA and has perfected a construction design that allows a team to construct a house in a short time using only hand tools. The transformation of the empty lot and piles of lumber and cement bags into someone's home mirrors the transformation that so often occurs within the hearts of the participants. "A group of people cross the border to build a house. A community of transformed people returns with new eyes and hearts," says one Juarez trip participant.
For more information or to make a contribution, visit Amor's website.
Nigeria } Vision Africa
 Vision Africa is spreading the Gospel to Nigeria and to the whole of Africa through preaching, teaching, church planting, medical relief, and Christian broadcasting. Bishop Sunday Onuoha, a native of Nigeria and HPUMC member, founded Vision Africa in October 1997. In the years since, Vision Africa has accomplished great things: 111 churches have been planted; 106 pastors have been trained; 1 Christian radio station has been built; 500,000+ Africans have received free medical treatment; more than half a million dollars worth of medicines have been distributed; over 200,000 have responded to the Christian faith; 150+ Americans have participated in Vision Africa mission trips.
Vision Africa represents HPUMC's longest-standing outreach partnership in Africa. In 2007 & 2008, HPUMC created a matching program to fund further church planting. For each donation ear-marked for a church plant ($5000), HPUMC matched the funds, allowing another church to be planted. In 2007, this program led to the creation of six new churches.
Please pray for Sunday and the rest of Vision Africa as they continue their extraordinary work. For more information, visit Vision Africa's website or contact Michael Dorff, Program Director, michael@visionafrica.org.
Saratov, Russia } UMC Initiative
 Our sister church, Saratov UMC, moved its operations to its new site in April 2008. This project has been years in the making and is a tribute to Rev. Tatyana Molodyk's vision and tenacity. In a society that restricts leadership roles for women, a religious atmosphere that discourages all but the Russian Orthodox Church, and an overwhelmingly complicated system of land-ownership, a hold-over from the Soviet state, Tatyana has turned a small church building that her congregation had out-grown into a money-making landswap with local developers.
HPUMC Global Outreach is committed to helping Saratov UMC raise the funds for the finish-out of their new church home. The new building is the first new construction of a Protestant church ever in Saratov. As such, our sister church has called upon HPUMC to help design the worship space, so that it will be consistent with traditional Methodist architecture. Dallas-based architect and HPUMC member, Martti Benson, is assisting with the design of the church's interiors. HPUMC members and long-time volunteers in the Russia Initiative David Griggs & Mike Jackson are heading up fundraising efforts.
Kazakhstan } Oasis Foundation
 The Oasis Foundation is a Dallas-based mission ministry that was formed in 1999 with Dr. Billy Abrahams's guidance. The Foundation partners with home-grown Christian churches in Nepal, Kazakhstan, and other areas in the world to help plant and sustain churches and missions.
Oasis is currently supporting the feeding program of Appletree House ministry in Kazakhstan, which provides food and care to impoverished children. For some children, the five hot meals that they receive at Appletree are the only hot meals they have during the week. Appletree strives to meet more than just the basic needs of children; they try to reach children in homes where drugs and alcohol threaten their quality of life. They feed and clothe these children, provide day care and offer music lessons, art, reading and story times.
Optical Ministry
 The optical ministry of HPUMC offers eye glasses to any and all missions. Started by HPUMC member Lee Forland, this is a source for glasses to correct near and farsightedness for those who lack financial resources. This service is easily administered with simple tools and a small amount of training. It is not intended to fix complex eye problems or eye diseases, but it does offer a person the ability to see with optical correction. Glasses have been provided for people in Matamoros, the Philippines, Nigeria and Haiti. Training mission teams for correctly fitting people in the places we serve around the globe will be the next step in this ministry.
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