Mennonites in Belize

      But it's not a friendly visit to look for her cousin Tina or Greta or Lena. On the contrary, it has people worried and anxiously watching the forecast, since this particular Lisa is bringing with her a very unpleasant attitude.   Jokes aside, the tropical depression located south of Jamaica has now been updated to Tropical Storm Lisa, with winds of 40mph and expected to possibly reach hurricane status just before making landfall in Belize. Government agencies have sent out hurriane warnings, certain schools and some archaelogical reserves will be closing tomorrow, and residents of outlying cayes are urged to evacuate on time. The storm is forecast to arrive on the coast of Belize during Wednesday night or Thursday morning.   Some items that are a must are: battery-operated flashlight, purified drinking water, matches/gas lighter, waterproof storage boxes for storing clothing and groceries, rubber boots. Get to a certified shelter on time or arrange with of...

       A much-loved, respected and admired conservative Mennonite writer, missionary, and father has now passed from death unto life. I saw him in person in Belize but never had an opportunity to speak to him. However his true life books detailing the spiritual struggles of individuals in Central America impacted me profoundly since the characters in his stories were people I could easily identify with, having grown up in the same culture and environment. Muddy jungle trails, eating mangoes, thatched roof and candlelight, brown-skinned children playing on the muddy streets. This was my culture too, and through his non-fiction stories and autobiography I could see a man who went all out in embracing eternal life and who brought out the best in those around him without caring how poor, how ragged or how rich they were. Pablo Yoder was a US-Nicaraguan conservative Mennonite who grew up in Costa Rica but later moved to Waslala, Nicaragua after the civil war. Within Menno...

      See  above an aerial view of the flooded areas in Spanish Lookout as a result of Tropical Storm Julia. Not quite as bad as the 2020 flooding from Hurricanes Eta and Iota but a catastrophe nonetheless. Farmer's Express, an unpaved alternative road connecting Spanish Lookout to Belmopan, was also impassable. In the background, top left, is Koop Sheet Metal.                                                 A. Mendoza

                       The marketplace in Spanish Lookout   You know for a fact that Spanish Lookout is a modern community of Mennonites, that Farmer's Trading Center is located there, that Universal Hardware (the motorcycle place) is there, and yes, Western Dairies: Belize's one and only Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, A&W's, and Chick-Fil-A all rolled into one, is there. But there are a few things that perhaps you did not know about this colorful and vibrant colony so I have decided to list them down below: 1. It has its very own team of volunteer firefighters complete with 2 firetrucks and equipment as well as its own ambulances. In fact their medical rescue team has developed a reputation for promptness...most of the time. The Spanish Lookout firetruck at the scene of an accident. Government police assess the situation. An ambulance and firetruck at the Spanish Lookout Business Expo in March of this year. 2. It...

   You can find peace and quiet in a Mennonite farming community; you can find a thriving colony of a people that appear to be living in the 18th century, or head to the progressive ones and find modern technology at work side by side with plainly dressed people. You can find the best cheeses in the country or the freshest milk. But there are some things you will not find in a Mennonite colony. See below for the list. Saloons/bars, nightclubs are not seen in their colonies. This doesn't mean certain Mennonites don't visit these places, they're just not allowed inside their colony. Some sly non-Mennonites know this very well, and consequently set up their saloons right next to the border line so that the black sheep can quench their thirst with ice cold beer on Saturday nights and hot Sunday afternoons. Gaming rooms, scratch & win vendors. You won't find them inside their colonies. Public libraries. There are a few small private libraries in Spanish Lookout that ope...

      Here is a wonderfully educational  video about the traditional Old Colony Mennonites in the northern community of Shipyard who are actually not quite as traditional as they outwardly appear; the video also features the Hoover Mennonites of Springfield in the highlands of central Belize (this conservative group is often confused with Amish). The Mennonites of Springfield are much more camera-shy hence the video mainly highlights their style of living rather than the people themselves which is in stark contrast to the ones from Shipyard posing for the cameras.                                                     A. Mendoza