Of Witches and Mennonites

  

  The following article refers to the Beachy, Holdeman, and Conservative Mennonites and describes a spiritual aspect of their life. These 3 groups are made up of people from different cultures and languages, which is the reason I did not specify an exact church name or Mennonite group since this is a situation that happened in these churches back when they were starting out as mission outposts. Leaving some of the dark cultural traditions and even darker witchcraft practices and becoming a Mennonite makes an interesting and inspiring story.
  Dominga (not her real name) was born a Q'eqchi' (Kekchi) Maya in the southern Toledo District. She was well taught on all the taboos and traditions of her culture and as she grew older began training to be a witch. Certain herbs placed in a neighbor's food, placing a black candle on the cursed person's doorstep, casting a spell on the enemy's cattle, etc.
  In her early twenties, white-skinned and plainly dressed Mennonite missionaries from the United States showed up in her village. They claimed they were there to show the natives a better way of life that would bring light to their lives. Dominga did not know she was living in sin, but she did know her husband and her were not happy. Complaining and quarreling were common. So together they began attending the services held in the thatched-roofed, open building framed with sticks. Deeply moved by the beautiful singing without instruments, the earnest and fervent way the minister preached, intrigued by the ladies' headcoverings and puzzled as to why these North Americans wanted to live here with the native Indians, Dominga's life was about to change.
  And change it did. It took some years of doubts, misunderstandings, spiritual stumbling and other Biblical errors. Others of her family joined the Mennonites much sooner. She also wanted to be free of this darknesss and heaviness, she wanted to worship and serve this Jesus that the Mennonites talked and sang so much about, but the Satanic chains held her fast. Time and again she felt and thought she was ready to go forward and receive the Lord as her personal Saviour, yet an unseen force would drag her back. Eventually she surrendered her life to God and was born again; a few days later her husband did too. Not long after they were baptized into the new little Mennonite church.
  That was 35 years ago, and Dominga and her husband smile as they declare that they have never regretted it. True, some of the sinful cultural practices and witchcraft rituals were a weak point for her during the early years of her Christian life. Often people who did not know she had changed would seek her out to place a curse on someone or to prescribe some deadly potion. When they realized she was not the same Dominga of years ago, they would offer a large sum of money. It was a temptation, but she remained firm in her faith. Their children and grandchildren now enjoy a double blessing, the rich cultural heritage of her ancestors together with the Christian principles and beliefs of the church that was started many years ago.
  As the country became more modern and she was able to travel outside of her village, she discovered other groups of Mennonites already living in well-established communities. But these Mennonites were different. They closed themselves off from other cultures and distanced themselves from accepting black people and brown-skinned Mestizos and Maya. She thought their language was funny and later learned it was called Plautdietsch, a form of German. Now years later, things have changed. Her grandsons work in Spanish Lookout, some Plautdietsch Mennonites even own businesses in her town and she herself makes 3 trips a year to visit her daughter in a village close to Shipyard, a conservative Plautdietsch community in Orange Walk.
  Walls made of hand-cut lumber, thatched roof and smoky walls inside makes it look like just any other Kekchi house in Toledo. But when you see her plain long dress, her hair hidden inside her head-covering, and her granddaughters with cute little pigtails and long dresses, you'll wonder why on earth she decided to be a Mennonite and why she has remained with this particular group of Mennonites.
  "They were the ones who showed me Jesus," is her reply.
  This story is based on a true account. I have tried to keep it as brief as possible. Also please note that there were other non-Mennonite churches who had started missions among the Maya of Toledo District at that time.