Mennonites in Belize

     Part of Shipyard sits on the banks of the New River The fine chalky white dust of the bumpy limestone roads in Shipyard infiltrated the vehicle as our Canadian driver carefully avoided the potholes. Other drivers, Belizean to the core, whizzed past us as though a bumpy road was the last thing on their minds. Here and there we passed horse-drawn buggies and flatbed carts, steel-wheeled tractors and combines. Scattered over the low hills were low-roofed metal frame homes and sheds with odds and ends of farm machinery on the yard. Windmills towered over some farms. In one yard heavy construction equipment was being repaired; in another a barge was being welded.   We were in Shipyard, an Old Colony Mennonite community which has been featured in countless magazines and Youtube documentaries. A land of stark contrasts where it is a sin to drive a passenger vehicle yet necessary to own one. Where government electricity is forbidden but solar panels are allowed...

     We are approaching the day marked on our calendars as "Mother's Day", and I am reminded not only of what the day means to us, but also of the daily struggles, the hidden tears, the joy and grief, the frustrations and disappointments, the heartaches and love, the kindness, gentleness and patience that are all summed up in one word: Mother.   As you read the poem below I hope you too also remember and realize that for our moms, Mother's Day is every single day of the year. __________________________________________ Mom is an Open Letter I am an open letter. My children keenly read me. They try to speak like Mother My remarks they copy. They watch my responses and deeds, Notice acts of kindness or greed. They catch on my attitudes Of complaint or gratitude. I hear echoes of my own words, Mom's reactions they'll absorb. They follow me around all day, And record all words that I say. As I treat them, so they'll others treat. Is their imitation ...

   Warning: this video contains graphic content which some viewers may find disturbing. If you're a vegan, or some sort of radical animal rights activist, then please leave this site .   Have you ever been inside an Old Colony Mennonite butcher shop?   The video above was filmed at a slaughterhouse in Camp 5, Shipyard. First the camera rolls past the holding cells where cattle and pigs are crammed as tight as sardines in their respective quarters, then a tour of the facilities, past a Mennonite boy calmly eating lunch, then on to the butcher block where a young Mennonite man expertly aims a gun at a bull, then to another room where a goat and a cow are skillfully decapitated, another room where animals are hoisted on chains for skinning, finally to the meat packing room where the hide is removed from cow's feet and prepared for cow foot soup, a delicacy among many Belizeans.   You can watch the video above or go to  Youtube .    View full blog ...

     Do you enjoy acapella singing? If so, you would no doubt be interested in this Mennonite choir which is currently making the rounds. See their schedule below for the next few weeks: For those interested in the Harmony Choir programs the updated schedule is below. You’re welcome to show up at a program as well!  *7 May* 9:00 am: Carmelita Church, Orange Walk 4:30 pm: Edenthal Kleinegemeinde Church, Blue Creek, Orange Walk *14 May* 6:30 pm Hattieville, Belize District *21 May* 9:00 am Cayo Christian Fellowship, Red Creek, Cayo  Evening. Greendale Church, Spanish Lookout *4 June Sunday* 6:00 pm in El Chal, Peten, Guatemala *5 June Monday* 8:30 am program at the school in El Chal, Peten, Guatemala    View full blog    Mennonite News                                         A. Mendoza

   For my blog readers, I have created a tab that links you to a site which posts news about Mennonites in Belize and around the world. You can find it at the top of the home page or visit by clicking  here . View full blog                                             A. Mendoza