Open Your Eyes – Life Lessons Learned in Haiti
By Jeff Newell
Christian Faith Publishing, 2018 - ISBN: 978-1-64191-888-6
Reviewed by Don McCrabb
 
Remarkable.
 
Jeff Newell’s book, Open Your Eyes, Life Lesson Learned in Haiti – in many ways his journal of his mission in and with the people of Haiti – is a remarkable witness to the promise, power, and direction of the universal mission of Jesus in these first decades of the twenty-first century.
 
While the book is clearly drawn from Jeff’s journal of his 20 or so trips to Haiti, the book is not about him – it is about his immediate family (Sharon, Kyle, Justin), his faith community at St. Mary’s Cathedral (Lafayette, Indiana), his Haitian Mission networks (Parish Twinning Program of the Americas and Central Indiana Churches for Haiti), and, most importantly, his Haitian family (Fr. Cha Cha, Madam Marcel, Sr. Jackie, Serge, Benedict, Fritzner, Martial and so many more) and the life lessons he has learned from these relationships.
 
Mission is going beyond yourself, stepping outside your comfort zone, crossing some type of border (geographical, economic, cultural, linguistic), to encounter another human being, in their context, governed by the Kingdom of God.
 
Jeff tells the story of him going to Haiti the first time. It was an act of faith – a leap of faith – that “opened his eyes” to seeing life, love, and God differently, in a richer, fuller, and tangible way. I am reminded of the people who met Jesus through the Samaritan Woman; “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” (John 4:42). Haiti did that for Jeff and his family.  
 
There are all the issues that part-time missionaries face – the challenges of a different culture and language, travel and luggage problems, poverty, broken roads, lack of creature comforts, and scarcity.
 
There is a remarkable chapter when Jeff, with and through his wife Sharon, really tackles “the first world problem.” Short-term mission trips, and parish partnerships, are often criticized as “poverty tourism.” The idea is that bringing rich people from the “first world” to see the “poverty” of the “third world” benefits the first world people more. Why? Because they walk away with a much better appreciation of all they have. It reminds me of the Pharisee boasting to the Lord in his prayer while the tax collector humbled himself (Luke 18: 9-14).
 
According to the experience of the Newell’s – and I think for most people who go on these mission immersions – it is a much more eye-opening, and humbling, experience. It changes our perspective of life, love, relationship, and God. These experiences called them to love more, not less. It called them to a greater faith, and dependency on God, not less. It called them to suffer with their Haitian brothers and sisters, not “save them.” If anything, they found their salvation in and through their feeble attempts to “love one another.”
 
Jeff is an exemplary man of faith. His missionary experience drew him closer to his family, deepened, enriched, and expanded his faith, brought scripture alive, accompanied him through his grief over the death of his son, Justin, and inspired him to do some “small things with great love.”
 
One of my favorite prayers is to the Holy Spirit – “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.” Jeff, Sharon, Kyle, Justin – and all the others from Indiana and Haiti – are, through the power of the Holy Spirit, renewing the face of the earth.
 
I must confess, it took me a long time to read this book. At first, I was not sure why. It is well written, substantial ideas are accessible, the stories are personal but not showy, and his use of Creole adds flavor and texture (he kindly translates every word). It was a challenge because my mind or heart was not in the right place to read it. At first, I approached it as theology, but it is not structured in a systematic way. Then I approached it as a story of mission, but the narrative was not chronological. No, Open Your Eyes is more like Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he spells out truths of our faith – lessons learned – in and through his experience of mission.
 
This is a really good book for people who are considering mission as part of their lives of faith to read and pray through. Just read one or two chapters a day. There are 38 chapters. Lent is 40 days. I would especially encourage young adults considering a year of service to read this book and those responsible for formation – especially seminarians – to read this text; you will serve and lead women and men like Jeff and Sharon. And, of course, all those who are called by God to accompany our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
 
It is available through Amazon or Barnes and Noble ($21.95) or on Nook or Kindle ($10).
 



Dr. Donald R. McCrabb is Executive Director of the United States Catholic Mission Association. Don served over twenty years in mission to higher education and twelve years in priestly formation.