Jim and Denise have served in various foreign missions since 1978, under the funding of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. The Hayes Family moved to Zimbabwe in 1990 and have resided there for the past eleven years.  Their efforts there include the founding of Hasten Christian Mission in Zimbabwe in 1991 under the auspices of Hasten Int'l, Inc. of Winston-Salem, NC

 

From 1990 through 1995, Jim and Denise planted 8 churches, worked with an established national church and oversaw a campus ministry at the University of Zimbabwe.  In conjunction with Reggie Thomas of White Fields (Joplin Missouri) the Hayes planted a church in Botswana and Namibia and worked with Angolan refugees. 

 

Through the years their ministry have enveloped benevolent activities including feeding programs, clothing closets, medical work and scholarship programs.

 

With the ever increasing deaths from AIDS in sub-Sahara Africa, the Hayes family began to witness personally how this tragic disease was affecting the average family in Zimbabwe.  In 1995, the World Health Organization had projected that by the year 2000 there would be one million orphans in Zimbabwe.  Present statistics estimate that Zimbabwe now has close to 800,000 orphans.

 

With these alarming statistics, the Hayes were moved to start a ministry that would give quality of life to orphaned children, many whom were HIV+ themselves.  Thus, All God Children, Inc was born.