A ministry in Haiti founded by Fayette County's Hein Vingerling takes its name from the passage Christians call The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19. After his resurrection, Jesus comes to his followers and says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...."

That sums up his mission, but Vingerling is pragmatic and knows that the Gospel bears little fruit if its hearers are sick and hungry. Therefore he and his colleagues are attacking the root problems of health and nutrition at the same time they preach God's love, believing that their best teaching tool is example.

"I've gone at least twice a year since 1990," Vingerling said, "focusing on bringing the Gospel, and not denomination."

A team of volunteers, sponsored by Fayette Presbyterian and other area congregations and individuals, went to Haiti last month. The orphanage Matthew Twenty-Eight built is in Bohoc, with a population of 400-500. The missionaries visited other villages, such as Pinal, where voodooism prevails.

"Where we stayed overnight were already established Christian communities," Vingerling said, but in some villages like Mogwajave, "Most people there have never seen a white person before.

"In the evenings we showed The Jesus Film. It was the first time they've seen a movie, and you could see them suffering with every nail in crucifixion. Altogether we had 21 people came to the Lord, of which several were baptized."

Asked if such conversion experiences are genuine, Vingerling responded: "The Lord asked us to go out and plant the seed. He doesn't ask us to judge. A lot of these people are taking a stand that is very dangerous in their own village. There's a lot of cruelty going on, the threat these people have to live with, and to take a stand takes a lot of courage."

Members of the Matthew Twenty-Eight team were:

Hein Vingerling founder of Matthew Twenty-Eight, a contractor who restores historical architecture, and site manager at Camp Calvin.

Mark Hopkins cofounder of Matthew Twenty-Eight, and a plant pathologist with the University of Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin.

Steve Taylor an Assembly of God preacher.

Alan Winter a Tyrone pastor who heads up the nondenominational Front Line Missions.

Eric Hoffler, M.D. a pediatrician in Fayetteville.

In a nutshell, here's what the Matthew Twenty-Eight mission has done or is doing:

Feeding about 800 kids at 10 feeding stations throughout that part of Haiti.

Sheltering 12 children in an orphanage they now own in a village near Buhoc, with plans to expand to house 30.

Installed a brick-making machine, taught villagers to make brick to build the orphanage as well as to sell.

Provided Vermox (worm medication) for several thousand people.

Developed a weevil-resistant strain of sweet potato, the main crop, thus increasing production enormously.

Set up a clinic and treated about 800 patients.

Started an after-school program for village children.

Installed a solar-powered water pump to elevate water to be gravity-fed for orphanage.

Preaching the gospel, baptizing villagers brave enough to reject voodooism.

Held seminars for Haitian pastors, some of whom walked nine hours to attend.

Taught pastors the importance of reading Bible stories to kids.

For more information or to contribute, contact Vingerling at 770-461-5708 or Hopkins at 770-461-5001.

Some facts about the Republic of Haiti and the problems there:

Population 6.78 million.

Size 10,714 square miles, slightly larger than Maryland

Ethnic groups 95% black, 5% mulatto and European; Haiti was originally a colony for African-born slaves escaping from America

Languages officially French, but all speak Creole.

Religions Roman Catholic 80 percent, Protestant 16 percent (mostly Baptist, some Pentecostal), none or other 4 percent; most also practice voodooism

Economy depending on location, annual per capita income ranges from $250 to $1,000 per year

Unemployment estimates range from 60 to 95 percent

Life expectancy 52-55

Statements about Haiti, issued by the U.S. State Department, caution that medical services are below U.S. standards and the "level of community sanitation" is low.

Crime, it continues, "is of increasing concern. Murders, carjacking, armed robberies and break-ins contribute to safety and security concerns." These crimes are often carried out in broad daylight in crowded areas and target foreigners. "There are no safe areas," the bulletin continues.

Civil unrest and violence can flare up at any time, the bulletin says, and offers advice on self-protection, as well as highways and locales to avoid. Roads are unpaved, unlit, and badly eroded. Driving is "undisciplined," vehicles badly maintained, and traffic laws rarely enforced. Travel at night is to be avoided.

If that's not enough, the FAA assesses Haiti's civil aviation authority as not in compliance with international standards. And airline tickets, even those issued by American carriers, bear a warning that the U.S. Department of Transportation finds Port-au-Prince airport lacking in adequate security.