International
International missions is an opportunity for us to reach people who may not have ever heard of the love of Jesus Christ. We currently support seven different international missionaries in Asia, Africa, South and Central America and the Bahamas. Most of the areas we go into are very poor, typically have no clean water, and are in desperate need of medical help. We have helped to build churches, medical facilities, schools and are currently working in Brazil to build a fish processing plant closer to the local fishing villages.
International mission trips help us to see how most of the rest of the world lives and the challenges they face every day. Everyone who goes on one of these trips proclaims that they got more out of the trip than they gave.
International Christian Development Mission, Haiti
ICDM has been ministering in Haiti for more than 30 years and is led by Reverend Yvan Pierre. Six out of ten Haitians cannot read or write. Because of this, ICDM seeks to educate, equip and empower God’s people to respond to God’s call. Reverend Pierre is working to train women and men to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Haiti. Through the school of Evangelism and the Portable Bible School, they have trained and sent out over 4,000 pastors and Christian leaders. ICDM’s Christian-based elementary school educates and cares for over 600 students and their families located in Bayonnais, Gonaives.
Over the past several years Heritage has sent many teams to Haiti to work on buildings, train teachers, run vacation Bible schools, and build relationships. Pastor Yvan is a highly inspirational leader of this ministry. Once you meet him and hear his story you will never be the same.
The Go Center
The mountainous regions of Southeast Asia are home to many unreached people groups who have their own languages and cultures and whose villages extend across national borders. T & J, along with their family, have been sent to one such group known as the Tai Dam (meaning Black Tai). There are currently one million Tai Dam, most of whom have never met a Christian or heard of Jesus Christ. But T & J have a vision of seeing a church in every Tai Dam village and seeing every Tai Dam family encounter the Good News of Jesus. The first years were spent learning their language, getting to know them personally, and developing materials that could be used to help them learn about the love of Jesus Christ. They prioritize communicating the Gospel in the heart language of the people, and utilizing simple and reproducible church planting methods.
Heritage was T’s church home church before he was married. Now he and his wife have five children, who were all born in Asia. Due to security concerns, their name and location cannot be included here. For more information, or to receive updated information on how to pray for T&J and the Tai Dam people, please contact the Director of Missions at Heritage.
Meet the Duterimbere Zoe Empowerment Group
In 2025, Heritage, Hillsborough, and Hyde Park UMCs (fondly known as "H3") began supporting a new Zoe Empowers group in Rwanda named Duterimbere, meaning “Progress.” This group of 26 households, totaling around 100 vulnerable youth and children, is just beginning their 3-year journey toward independence and dignity.
In the last six months, the children have received training in dream planning, food security, small business development, and hygiene. Every child has already launched a small business, selling corn, making donuts, running a barber shop, raising animals, and more. These early steps are transforming lives: from hunger and hopelessness to food on the table, safe shelter, and new dreams for the future.
In June, representatives from H3 visited the Duterimbere group and were welcomed with joyful singing and heartfelt gratitude. The Zoe kids even shared “first fruits” from their businesses, two chickens and a basket of groundnuts, as a symbolic gift of thanksgiving to their H3 sponsors, whom they now view as family.
We are honored to walk alongside these young people as they discover their God-given potential and build a brighter future.
Victorious Heritage Church, Dubrocq, Cuba
In 1997 the Methodist United in Prayer organization (MUIP) was established to renew the sister church relationship between Florida and Cuba churches. Victorious Heritage Church, Heritage’s sister church in Cuba, is located just outside of Matanzas in Dubrocq, and is being led today by Pastor Yosvani Pupa Alba and his family. It is a very vibrant church that is growing beyond measure. They have entered a new era of worship and faith. Heritage members and staff have visited several times over the past years since travel to Cuba has been opened up for Americans. Tim Harrigan has been serving as Heritage's ambassador in Christ and has been a blessing to the pastors . Tim visits them every year and is always looking for people to join him on his next trip to Cuba.
