International News | Mennonite Missionaries Finally Free

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   The 17 Mennonites who were kidnapped in Haiti by gangsters two months ago are all free now. Five had been released earlier and the remaining 12 escaped last week, traveling by foot until they reached a place where they could send a phone call. An 8-month old baby and a toddler were wrapped in blankets to protect them from thorns as they walked through rough terrain. According to Newsweek and Christian Aid Ministries, the victims were not physically harmed and their captors provided "food suitable for the children". The rebels had initially demanded a million dollar ransom for the Mennonites but there is no official statement as to whether their request was fulfilled. Based on other Mennonite missionary stories during the civil wars that raged in Central America, I know that there are some Amish Mennonite church groups who have a policy that they do not pay ransom for kidnapped missionaries, choosing instead to send out international calls for prayer and fasting.
  Here in Belize, the conservative churches such as Kleine Gemeinde, Holdeman, Hoover, and other Amish Mennonite congregations were also praying. Certain members were also fasting. Hence the news of the Mennonites' daring escape from their captors was quickly shared across Whatsapp and other social media platforms and greeted with profound joy and thankfulness.
   Here is another trait of true Anabaptism: according to the kidnapped Christians, their captors became so comfortable with them that they would leave their assault rifles and other guns completely unattended on the chairs within reach of the Mennonites. In fact, if the adult Mennonite captives had wanted to, they could have chosen a moment when the gangsters were relaxed and quickly overpowered them and exchanged bullets. They could have been home weeks ago. But they chose instead to stick to non-resistance and forgiveness, a doctrine which characterizes true Anabaptism yet rarely practiced by mainstream Christianity. After their liberation some of the individuals publicly stated that they extended forgiveness and love to their captors.
















                                     A. Mendoza

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