Mennonites in Belize

  It was a cloudy and rainy day. Two young men were heading home for lunch trying to stay ahead of the rain, but they never made it. Both were within sight of their homes, both lived on the same road, both were driving motorbikes, and each was coming from the opposite direction. They collided and both died on the spot. This happened in Spanish Lookout, on the 22nd of June, around 11:30am. I received the news at 11:45. One was the son of a Kleine Gemeinde business owner, another was the son of a non-conservative Mennonite mechanic whose home church is in Belmopan.   One of them had been a co-worker. My friends and I stood around in shocked silence when we were told our co-worker had passed away. For the rest of the day, everyone seemed to be more subdued.  The KG's son's funeral service was held in the big KG Schoenthal church on Center Road, and the other one's funeral at the Countryside Park, the place where non-KG people hold their funeral services.   I attended...

     From woodstoves, to propane burners, to electric ranges. Each branch has their way of cooking their meals whether out of preference or because of church regulations.   The Kleine Gemeinde and other non-traditional Mennonites of Blue Creek and Spanish Lookout are switching over to electric ranges, as well as some of the wealthier Conservative, Holdemans and Beachy. Electricity prices haven't gone down, it has simply become more affordable, more available and more stable compared to 10 years ago. Also they no longer rely only on the stove but use other modern items such as electric pots, electric griddles, etc.   The Old Colony group uses propane stoves because it is more economical than electric ranges yet more efficient than woodstoves, also to keep their tradition of avoiding "luxury" items; the typical Belizean fashion with a butane tank standing outside and a hole in the wall for the supply line. For cooking that will require a large amount of time ...