The Early Days
Hi, I am Lynn Anton, a Registered Nurse from Nashville and I first had the opportunity to travel to Haiti in 1997, and the following year was proud to organize my first medical mission to Haiti along with the support of my church. It was during this trip in 1998 when I first met Pe’ Garry, who was the pastor of our adopted parish, St. Agnes, in the very beautiful and remote mountains of Beaumont, Haiti LINK.
The first time I met him, I knew he was a genuine man with the heart of a servant. He grew up in Jeremie, Haiti and was one of nine children. He also has two sisters who are nuns and one brother who is also a priest (obviously, a devout Catholic family). Although he grew up poor, he feels that he was always “called to serve others” and he has been a good and faithful servant.
During that first medical mission, we set up our makeshift clinic in a recently abandoned building where two elderly nuns used to live in Beaumont. St. Agnes church owned the building, and it was an ideal building for a clinic right in the middle of town. It had iron security gates, an eight-foot-high cement wall, several large rooms (which became patient waiting rooms), a bathroom (sort of), four bedrooms (ideal exam rooms), kitchen, and a large storage room (pharmacy). Little did I know Pe’ Garry already had created plans to renovate this building into a clinic, and that became a reality over the next 5 years. Today, this previous convent is a full-time clinic with a doctor, nurse, lab technician, pharmacy, laboratory, and a dentist one day a week.
Visionary With Servant’s Heart
With his servant’s heart, he has made so many dreams a reality. I have worked alongside him since 1998. We have raised funds and successfully created many projects together. We built a high school, kindergarten, a pre-school, started a micro-credit program, built four orphanages, and started a clean water project.
I have met a few priests in Haiti who act more like a privileged elitist rather than a man of God. They have an entourage of people around them and seem to be living beyond their means. I have met some priests in Haiti who live this way and it is very disheartening and sickening. This is not someone neither Jerry or I would want to be involved with or trust to do what they say they will do with hard-earned donations. Pe’ Garry is not this kind of priest. I have worked with him for decades and know him to be trustworthy, kind, and a very hard worker. He does not live lavishly or ask for anything for himself.
Pe’ Garry always exceeds my expectations. He always seems to work his magic to make things happen. In the clinic one day, we ran out of Ziplock bags (to put patient medicine into) and vegetable oil (for the scabies treatment). I told Pe’ Garry and within an hour he brought in four gallons of oil and 1000 small plastic bags, enough to finish up our clinic for the week. Another time we brought him $5000 to build a new high school. I gave him the money at breakfast, then we all went to work at the clinic. After lunch, Pe’ Garry had a group of men working next to the clinic digging and pouring concrete for the new school building. He has personally driven very ill patients to the nearest hospital 4 hours away when we cannot care for them at the clinic. He is the kind of person you want to work with in Haiti.
“Children Are Not Disposable”
He talked to me about starting an orphanage in Beaumont because he saw a need for it in the area. He had seen a small boy crying on the side of the road. The boy was about 3, emaciated and covered in sores. Pe’ Garry stopped and asked one of the neighbors who told him the parents threw him out of their house because he was “too small and was a waste of food.” Pe’ Garry paid the woman to care for the boy and brought the idea of an orphanage to me. He told me, “Children are not disposable. They cannot be thrown out like trash. All children are from God and He wants for us to care for them.” How could I say no. Within 6 months we had 25 children at our first orphanage in Beaumont. Eventually, we had about 100 children living there. They had their own garden, did chores, played, and went to school.
After about 8 years, I was sad when Pe’ Garry was transferred to serve the Bishop in Jeremie. I continued to stay in contact with him and one day he asked if I would help him start an orphanage in Jeremie. I could never say “no” to him, so of course I helped. I raised funds and within about 6 months Pe’ Garry had hired staff and found a building to renovate into an orphanage. The orphanage was expanded to be two orphanages, one for boys and one for girls.
There are some sad stories about orphanages in Haiti exploiting the children. They receive money from US donors when they hear the heartbreaking stories of these poor children. In some instances, the orphanage takes the money, and they promise the children food, shelter, and education. But instead they use them for forced labor, as a “restavek” (indentured servant), or sexual abuse. Unfortunately, I know these stories to be true.
Authentic & Accountable
The four orphanages I have started with Pe’ Garry are NOT part of that story. I have consistently visited all of the orphanages for the past 20 years. Sometimes he knows when I am visiting and sometimes he doesn’t. The children are always healthy and happy. They are well fed and go to school. They have chores to do and may work but they are paid and are given their money when they turn 18. Is it the ideal situation? Probably not by US standards, but it’s a safe, nurturing environment where they can grow up and become productive adults.
A Strong Foundation for the Possibilities of a Better Life
The wonderful part about creating things with Pe’ Garry is that he doesn’t want me to support his projects forever. For example, at the boys’ orphanage he bought a large commercial oven. His father was a baker and he used his bread recipe and taught the boys how to make bread. When the boys turn 12 they can start working in the bakery. They get up about 4 am, mix up the bread, knead the dough, bake it in the oven then set it out to cool. After they go to school they return to the bakery, package up the bread then deliver it to the local stores and shops who buy it. Pe’ Garry opens a bank account for each boy and pays them for their work. When the boy turns 18, he is given the money in the account, and they can do whatever they want with it. They can go to a trade school or start their own business. Also, the profits from selling the bread in the community goes towards paying for the expenses at the boys’ orphanage.
At the girls’ orphanage, Pe’ Garry has a similar program. He has a general store and the girls can earn money working in the store when they turn 12. They also have a bank account they can receive the funds from when they turn 18. The profits from the store support the girls’ orphanage.
Pe’ Garry has opened another health clinic in Jeremie. It has 2 doctors, 2 lab technicians, 4 nurses, and administrative staff. The nursing students from the school in Jeremie complete some of their training at the clinic. He does a lot for the community and has many projects in addition to being a full-time pastor for a church in Jeremie.
Pe’ Garry seems to know everyone and is well respected throughout the region. The locals speak very highly of him and are willing to help him with whatever project he wants to do next. He is a very humble man and devoted to helping others without asking for anything in return. He is a rarity by any standards, not just in Haiti but among all the people I know. He always has a smile on his face and deep compassion in his heart.
The Challenges Are Real – the Desire to Change Burns Bright
I know some people read about or hear stories about the corruption in Haiti. The corruption is REAL and makes it difficult to do a lot of the projects I want to do in Haiti. I have organized or been on over 40 medical missions in Haiti since 1997. I was in Haiti for almost three weeks after the first devastating earthquake in 2010. I went to Haiti in 2022 for 10 days after the second earthquake.
I have seen the corruption, the bribes, the abuses. It’s not pretty. But in the southwest region of Haiti is a man with the heart of a servant; hope burns bright. He lives his humble life, working to help others and to ease some of the suffering. He is a man of hope and love.
St. Francis said, “Preach about Jesus’ love without ceasing, and sometimes use words.” Pe’ Garry lives this message every day.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Lynn Anton
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