Mennonites in Belize

   Most Plautdietsch Mennonites (except the non-conservative ones) don't give a cent for holidays, especially government ones. The only holidays observed by them are New Year's Day, Good Friday/Easter Monday, and the 25th/26th of December.   Government holidays are ignored by many of them and as long as the workers get their holidays paid nobody cares much either. In fact I know some KG men and other Mennonites who wouldn't hesitate to work for profit on Sundays too. There has been talk of having restaurants or snack shops open on Sundays in their communities of Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek.   The 6th of January is a religious holiday observed by the Old Colony Mennonites of northern Belize but not recognized by the government.    Beachy Amish and the Holdemans do not have any preference or specific holidays. They observe the religious holidays recognized by the government and out of respect some of their congregations keep other political holida...

  Except for a Mennonite-run clinic in Spanish Lookout and 1 in Blue Creek, most Mennonites (the wealthier ones) depend on non-Mennonite private doctors for serious injuries and childbirth. Both clinics are community owned, have their own ambulances, and are operated by female volunteers and full-time nurses, mostly middle-aged women. Some of the older ladies are certified to assist in pregnancy and childbirth. As yet there is no official male doctor in all 5 branches of Mennonites in Belize. The clinics attend to anyone from anywhere in the country.   Among the Old Colony and Old Order groups, there are many wise, experienced old men and women herbalists who also carry out chiropracting, dentistry and offer herbal cures and massages.   So what happens after a near fatal vehicle accident or a terminal illness is diagnosed? For those who can afford it, the patient is flown to a private hospital in Guatemala City or to Chetumal City on the Mexican side to the north. B...

    Spanish Lookout   Not as big an event as the one at Farmer's Trading Center a few weeks ago, but it still draws a sizable crowd, especially after 5 when people visit to take advantage of the food available with purchase. More than just a tire store, they also run a complete line of hardware tools and a fuel station nearby.   Took these pictures during a not-so-busy hour. Directly across to the west is the "new" market center.

  Next Saturday, November 17, is Caribbean Tire's annual sale day in Spanish Lookout. Each of their branches throughout the country has a different date, beginning in November and into December. Discounts, raffles, food and drinks are available from 7AM to 8PM at the Spanish Lookout branch.   For this coming Saturday, November 10, a neighborhood sale will be held by 4 other businesses in Spanish Lookout. Reimer's Service Center, Belize Tire Depot, Crossroad Farm Supplies, and Midwest Steel. These 4 companies sit right at a junction, and therefore will be quite interesting, sort of like a mini expo.

  Employees of Farmer's Trading Center, the country's biggest Mennonite-owned supermarket and hardware combined, are feverishly setting up the final touches to their new display area and getting things in tip-top shape for their Customer Appreciation Day, which is held one Saturday of the year, always in October. This year it has fallen on the last Saturday of the month, the 27th.   Things happening that day are promotional give-aways, raffles, prizes, huge discounts and crowds of people flowing in and out by the hundreds all day long until 8pm. Many nationalities will be present, since this store is in a way the "Wal-Mart" of Belize. Also present will be Old Colony Mennonites from north Belize, Old Order Mennonites from south and central Belize, Kleine Gemeinde and non-conservative Mennonites from around the country, as well as a sprinkling of the Beachy and Holdeman Mennonites.   Out on the yard and on a section of the parking lot will be the food vendors selling ...

  This article is about the Plautdietsch Mennonites only.   Within the colonized Mennonites of Belize there is quite an amount of internal migration. The 2 most popular colonies are Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, with the former seeing the biggest increase in arrivals of Old Colony Mennonites from northern Belize and a few Old Order young men from central or south Belize. The Spanish Lookout businesses and farms have benefited from these people because they are willing to work very hard for a minimum to average salary. Their born talent for mechanics and engineering is a tremendous advantage to their employers.   Occasionally entire families completely leave the Old Colony traditions and settle in Spanish Lookout, other families move back and forth due to seasonal work and other families split apart, the husband and some sons permanently banned from the colony while the wife and younger ones move back. But MOST of the migrant workers in Spanish Lookout right now are si...

  Certain Mennonites are forever migrating. This pack-up-and-go lifestyle is mostly carried out by lower income German Mennonites of the Old Colony and KG groups.   In the KG group, their 2 popular destinations are Mexico and Canada. Occasionally some end up in the US. Among the Old Colonists and ex-Old Colony members, their main destinations are Mexico, Paraguay and Bolivia where very large colonies of their kind are in existence. The ones who move to Mexico move around in that country and later end up in Belize. Years go by and they pull up stakes again and head to Mexico. Mexican Mennonites also head to Belize to find work and earn a better salary.   I asked a Mexican girl recently:  " Do you mind telling me why you and your husband moved to Belize? I mean the Mexican Mennonites have a better economy in general, bigger industries and scores of manufacturing companies."  " That's all true," she replied. " But the wages and work ethics are so much dif...

  There are none. Not even remotely close.

Spanish Lookout Bel-Car, an import/export grain mill. The office and warehouse are behind the storage tanks. The recently built firehouse is in the foreground. The rear of Reimer's Feed Mill. Specializing mostly in corn but also a big seller of animal-care products. Their slogan is "We're growing Belize" Looking towards the front of Quality Feed Mill, another mill across from Reimer's Feed Mill. They have been in the process of enlarging everything. The storage, the offices, display area, products, etc.

  Honestly yet sad to say, the ones who are the most involved in law-breaking, primarily domestic incidents, are the Old Colony Mennonites from northern Belize. This unfortunately falls more often on the lower-income families than on the richer guys who own big businesses and can negotiate deals with the police. Some fathers physically abuse their children, many are caught up in shady little businesses such as unlicensed firearms and ammunition, there are cruel beatings, and both teen boys and older men sometimes sit in jail. There are still those who uphold a strict moral life but without any spiritual attachment. The everlasting plague of drug dealing is also present.   The Old Order Mennonites of central and south Belize are very tame and quiet compared to their brothers up north. Many mistake them for Amish due to their calm lifestyle. Rarely will you hear of any violence within their groups. There is more spiritual life in their teachings and that of course plays a big f...

  The reason for this topic is because I had a recent unpleasant incident with the Social Security system in this country. Perhaps another time, another place, I'll share it. But right now we'll focus on how it affects all the Mennonites.   Social Security Board is the only kind of insurance that most Belizeans have. In fact it is mandatory for all legal citizens, except Mennonites who are members of autonomous colonies. While it does provide a measure of comfort, it is actually the government's best (and legal) method of retaining some of your hard earned money.   Some of the younger German-speaking Mennonites own Social Security cards, but aside from using it now and then for legal paperwork, it is a useless piece of plastic. Non-German-speaking Mennonites like the Beachy and Holdemans do own cards since they have not been granted any self-ruling status, nor do they wish for it. They and all other Belizeans need to present this card in order to get a job, to maintain ...

   It is now officially set. Farmer's Trading Center, the country's biggest supermarket and distributor combined, will be holding it's annual sale day on October 27th, the last Saturday of the month. Lots to see and do, many cultures and nationalities are present, all sorts of food to buy.  

 Hurricane season is in full swing. Rarely though, that a major hurricane will actually hit Belize. The last hurricane to land in the country was Hurricane Earl in 2016 as a Category1. It swept through the central corridor at night. The only Mennonite community to be directly affected was Spanish Lookout. Nothing catastrophic as far as lives and houses but the corn crop was ruined. Some fallen trees and downed power lines could be seen in Spanish Lookout because the storm lost its strength after hitting the coast. No lives were lost. We don't know yet what this year will bring.   Hurricane season is from June to November.

         A Look at the Holdeman's Baptism     I'm writing about this interesting topic because they are the only Mennonite church who believe in and hold to the doctrine of rebaptizing before joining their church. Why rebaptize if the Bible says "one baptism"? Well, according to them, it also says, "one Lord, one faith, one Father". Therefore for an applicant to join, he needs to be spiritually led to believe the way they do so that he can honestly and sincerely say he now believes in "one Lord, one faith" with them.   That brings in the topic of "the one true church". However, let me be clear. I'm not here to point out which Mennonite church or group has the right doctrine and only way to be saved. I'm writing about the Mennonites in Belize and describing their lifestyle and beliefs.   Since they believe that they are "the true church" as far as doctrinal views and other Biblical principles, baptism is one of their s...

  Like I mentioned in a post earlier in this blog, the majority of Mennonite stores and companies are owned by the German-speaking Mennonites. The big and modern enterprises are owned and managed mostly by Kleine Gemeinde and liberal Mennonites.   Anyways, some of these big businesses use the 21st of September, Independence Day, to take their staff out for some fun and games.   Two semi-private Mennonite-run schools also hold a student's parade, usually the day before the 21st or the last school day before the 21st. Patriotic flags, banners, and music in a Mennonite community would have been unheard of not too long ago. Conservatism is releasing its hold on the KG Mennonites. Many vehicles have little national flags waving from the mirrors or antenna.   The communities that still remain closed to patriotism and national festivities are those of the Old Colony in the north and the Old Order in central and south Belize. Beachy and Holdeman Mennonites look on patriot...

  The Old Colony men can be easily identified from their Old Order neighbors because they don't wear beards and mustaches. It's wrong for them to do so.   On the other hand, the Old Order Mennonites believe that all married men must let their beard grow unhindered, resulting in bushy haystacks. Mustaches are kept more in line, for obvious reasons.   Most Kleine Gemeinde or KG males are beardless and mustacheless too, more out of tradition than anything spiritual or Biblical because there are some who grow mustache and beard (and keep it neat and trimmed), but mostly the ones at the liberal end.    The Holdeman's doctrine requires all born-again baptized members to grow a beard and mustache as well as to be responsible to keep it trimmed and orderly. A few go against the doctrine and either grow bushy beards or none at all.   Beachy and Conservative Mennonites are a diverse, widely scattered group independent of a central government. Therefore the ones ...

  Who are these Mennonites who DON'T dress according to tradition and doctrine? Well, they're scattered all over the Mennonite colonies, mainly Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek and have also sprinkled themselves throughout the country. Made up of a mixed group of ex-KG, ex-Holdeman, ex-Beachy, ex-Old Colony, ex-Old Order, ex-everything, these non-conservative, "non-religious" ones go to whichever church they believe is the best one for their family without caring if it's a Plattdeutsche church or Creole church. Some of them don't even care about going to church at all. Consequently there is no dress code, no regulations on fashion and jewelry, no written or verbal agreement on anything specific.   However, there are some that tend to look askance at the conservative dress code of their other Mennonite neighbours to the point of ridicule, calling them "religious", "old-fashioned", and "rules written by humans and not God". Seems lik...

  The Old Order and especially Old Colonists will tell you they do it because it's their tradition, their lifestyle that God wants for them and any other way of dressing is sinful.   The KG will tell you it's the way they should always dress to obey the church decree and to keep the tradition of their forefathers; also to please God by keeping their clothing plain, simple and modest. But many understand that ultimately it is not your clothing that will save you but your faith in God. At least the more spiritually minded ones say that while the rigidly traditional have a mindset similar to the Old Colonist's. Quite interesting that they skimp, stretch and save on their clothes but drive luxurious cars, expensive furnishings, and costly farm machinery.   Holdemans, Beachy and Conservative Mennonites have a different explanation. Actually their way of dressing is held as a doctrine, agreed upon and decided by baptized members only. Briefly: God approves of male and female ...

A shopping center in the diverse Mennonite colony of Blue Creek, Orange Walk district A gas station in the Old Colony (Altkolonie) community of Shipyard, southeast of Blue Creek A graveyard The following 3 pictures were taken by a friend of mine and have been shared with permission from the photographer. A field in an Old Order Mennonite community (they are often called Amish) in central Belize, several miles south of Belmopan. The scenic Hummingbird Highway which runs past an Old Order Mennonite community. The soil here is very fertile.

  Also known as CGCM (Church of God in Christ, Mennonite) these folks are a little more simple and plain in their ceremonies. Recently there was 1 such wedding in southern Belize.   Again, on weddings and funerals, spouses are permitted to sit together more out of a lack of seating than anything else I guess, since none of the Holdeman church buildings are big enough to accomodate more than 100 people inside. Tarps and tents are set up outside.   Groom wears a black suit minus the tie, but the bride only wears a regular dress. The ceremony consists of a couple of congregational songs, some choir songs, an opening sermon, the main sermon(which can get quite long sometimes), the vows, then more choir singing. A total of 3 prayers are held.   The reception is held either on the church yard or at the bride's house, the latter being more typical of Belizean culture. Also typical of Belize culture is the meal, which is a heavy meal of rice and beans, chicken, torti...

  This time it was from the Kleine Gemeinde church. The bride is sort of related, thus the invitation.   Who the guests will be is decided by the bride and groom, as a result many close family members and church members are actually not invited due to the family tree being so big.   Anyways, lets enjoy the wedding. It was a typical KG wedding, no decorations and adornments in the church building, he wore a plain suit and she a plain white dress. One or 2 congregational songs, a short intrudoctory sermon, the main one, the vows, then a few choir songs; songs are generally in English but everything else is in Low German. The reception building is allowed to be more festive, the amount of decorations depends on how conservative the bride and groom are and also on their budget. Some singing is done and testimonies are shared. Usually the meal served is very light, the guests stand in line soup kitchen style then sit at the tables. The servers ration out the food. This pract...

  The following is a very brief look at the Mennonites' educational system. Sometime in the future I will do a more detailed and descriptive article:   Nearly all Mennonite children attend a private school for their primary education, then a few move on to public school for the secondary. The latter depends on the parent's belief and other religious regulations. Some KG, Beachy and other Conservative Mennonites subscribe to online courses for their children.                  Old Colony and Old Order   In Shipyard, Little Belize and other colonies up north, the teacher is often a male and students are taught High German instead of English. Their education consists a lot of memorizing and reciting. School does not follow the regular season like the rest of the country. It is held year round with a month's break here and there. Text books and other curriculum is limited.   The Old Order from central and south Belize ...

  Scotiabank officially closed its branch in Spanish Lookout several weeks ago, except for the ATM which still operates. In their 10 years of existing in Spanish Lookout, they had been the victims of 2 major armed robberies, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. There are no plans to return to business.   On the other hand, Spanish Lookout community is now following the steps of Blue Creek colony in Orange Walk in establishing its own official and formal credit union made up mostly of tax-paying members. Their office will be located in the same building as Farmer's Trading Center.   Heritage Bank is now in the community and is currently in the process of building their own ATM in a corner of the FTC building.   Previously, FTC operated as an unofficial credit union for the community, issuing its own cheque-like coupons valid only within Spanish Lookout. Reimer's Feed Mill is still doing that, acting as a private bank for employees and other people and p...

 Western Dairies, the country's biggest processor of milk products, is hosting it's anniversay celebration for several days in a row. The party is countrywide but people still flock to the main store in Spanish Lookout because they like the spacious dining room, the drive-through and some items not available at the other branches and a chance to make new friends or go on a late night date. There are sales and discounts on specific products while some are half price. The celebration ends tomorrow.   Early morning At 5pm...the big crowd is from 7pm to 9pm A cardboard cow stands silhoutted against the setting sun.

 Early this morning BBN reported a Mennonite plane crash landing north of Belmopan, close to More Tomorrow village. The pilot exited the plane moments before it unexpectedly exploded in flames. It was an old single engine biplane used for crop spraying. The pilot was unhurt but the plane was destroyed.