Change is Coming for Shipyard
George Wall's Hardware and Fuel Station
As I took a quick drive around a section of the community, I noticed that many of the newer homes built are made out of poured concrete, with indoor toilets and showers. The bathroom is either an extension of the house or built separately but still under the same roof. No longer the traditional path with the sagging outhouse at the end. You can still find wood houses here and there, but the most common material is galvanized sheet metal and the newer method, poured concrete.
I also noticed the amount of motor vehicles parked throughout the community. It is no secret that a big percentage of these Mennonites own the vehicles and keep hired full-time Mestizo drivers. Some of the more conscientious ones let the driver keep the truck at his house so it wouldn't be seen on their own yard.
Previously they had been opposed to solar and public electricity, depending on diesel and gasoline power for their farms, but now solar panels have been accepted and cellphones are everywhere. The businessmen claim it belongs to their Spanish worker and the boys and girls who are not business people simply keep it undercover.
Solar panels
Recently a businessman built a large, roomy hardware store, complete with modern amenities such as air conditioning and dark glass windows. This caused quite a disturbance among the church elders, who confronted him about his fancy shop. To which the owner replied that he could not abandon such a project and lose his investment. Since he's one of the "big" guys, they eventually backed off. (An ex-Colony member told me this story.)
Elias Multi-Service
Another Mennonite businessman will soon have a competition for Koop Sheet Metal from Spanish Lookout.
A roofing shop
Some have modernized their interior housing, purchased their own transport trucks, and upgraded their shops. But these things are not what have caused such a major change. The biggest change of the century (for them) is about to arrive.
BEL, the country's only government-owned electricity supplier, is in the process of acquiring permission to carry a main line through part of the colony in order to reach communities farther south. This has certainly created a turmoil, with several families already discussing plans to migrate to Mexico and other countries, not only because of the power line but also because of the speed at which they feel the modern world is being hurled upon them. The power company is pushing hard, but the majority of them have so far held their ground. However, those who are right on the electricity route are divided as to yes or no. BEL has declared that if they can get a certain amount of signatures stating yes, they will place their line through the community. Will they win?
The ex-Colony man who was sitting beside me remarked, "I'll be glad when this whole religious and rigid mindset is gone and in its place will be a renewed, modern town like Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek."
I asked, "You really think public electricity would be the biggest factor in transforming this village?"
He replied, "I'm sure of it. In fact if electricity arrives it wouldn't even be 5 years before they would have computers, microwaves, air conditioning, and so on."
"But what about those who are opposed to it? All those families migrating would leave a big empty space."
He shrugged. "The Mennonites from Blue Creek are more than ready to move in and set up their businesses. Plus, becoming modern would open the doors for other Mennonites from Canada and the US to come and invest here."
Perhaps it's all for the better, and perhaps it will prove disastrous. Only time will tell. According to the opinions of various Mennonites who have been shunned from the Old Colony church, it's all for the better. But then according to Old Colony members, this will bring them a complete setback. Migrating to a new country, with 9 children and after having spent your life investing in your industry only to be uprooted by a few electrical lines is not a trivial matter.
