Mennonites in Belize

A Hoover Mennonite boy mowing grass in Roseville      In Spanish Lookout, it appears that every year the holiday becomes more important. This year for example if you would have driven down Center Avenue you would have thought it was Sunday. Stores closed, processing plants silent, restaurants dark. Have the modern Mennonites become more patriotic? Although millenials may not be that excited about patriotism, Gen Z is now taking the reins and infecting Gen Y with their enthusiastic flag-waving approach to this national day, September 21, the birth of our country. Since the holiday fell on a Sunday this yeat it was observed on Monday. I thought perhaps businesses might be open due to not observing it on the actual day but I was wrong. The night before Independence Day certain Mennonites from the community headed to Belmopan for the evening parade and midnight fireworks. I've been there, done that. Trumpets, drums, tobacco, alcohol, dancing and smoke from food vendors. A won...

     A bit of history was in the making today when Achieve Fitness held its grand re-opening, the first official and permanent gym building which opened its doors in Spanish Lookout today in their brand new facility. Unlike other franchised gyms in the community which operate out of temporary leased buildings, this one located on Route 40 West, across the road from Plett's Home Builders, is completely independent. An imposing modern structure of metal and glass with just about everything you need to achieve that fit and toned body you have always longed for. Gym owners Ronny and Rhonda Plett were on hand all day to greet visitors and welcome customers. Snacks and various other refreshments were available. Mennonite News View Blog Joselyn and the Kitchen                                       A. Mendoza

     Yes, its the type of blog I was looking for when I searched for foods that are Belizean in taste but Mennonite in culture. Cooking is a hobby of mine but writing about it ain't my specialty. The writer shares her talent both in the recipes she posts and in the way she describes them. Click the link below to view her blog and start enjoying the delicious meals she has written down:  Joselyn and the Kitchen Mennonite News View Blog                                       A. Mendoza

  A traffic mishap The graveyard in Spanish Lookout A motocross event near the Iguana Creek highway A truck show Traffic piled up due to an accident Noah Hoover Mennonites in Roseville A farm in Spanish Lookout Mennonite News View Blog                                    A. Mendoza

     A sawmill in Little Belize, Corozal   Twice in one month Old Colony Mennonites were caught in the middle of controversial logging operations which attracted national interest and caused many citizens to wonder about the extent of damage being wrought on our forests. First was the Boston incident in the Belize District where these Mennonites were discovered to be logging with an expired license and furthermore had destroyed community property by felling trees outside of their designated permit. It caused an uproar among the villagers which spread out across social media especially since the Mennonites' first reaction was to call a government official for assistance when police officers confronted them. The politicians then questioned the cops,  claiming this was a matter for the Forestry Dept. and not for police to deal with.   The second confrontation was in southern Belize where a land owner visited his private property only to find the trees had been...

     The girl's eyes reflected the pain and trauma she had experienced. Her home and family completely destroyed by sexual lust and pornography. Raped by her brother, sexually molested by her father, now alone and scared, she stood defiant with a set jaw as I carefully chose my response to her story.   A man so profoundly ensnared by tobacco and alcohol that he forced his oldest daughters into prostitution in order to bring some income for the rest of the family.   An older person on the verge of suicide. The sad and tired eyes spoke of a deep internal struggle which was tormenting. I prayed for the person and said "God bless you". But it seemed I was too late.   An elderly man, already a great-grandfather, caught in the vicious trap of pornography, estranged from his wife and children.   Another heart-broken young woman who had an abortion because her parents refused to accept her as a daughter if she kept the baby, especially because the baby's fathe...

  "Long live the que...". Not anymore, sir.   Today, August 4, Belize officially began using its brandnew banknotes. The paper notes emblazoned with Queen Elizabeth II are now history and have been replaced by a more modern style, at least in looks, similar to the peso and quetzal. Banking institutions are now handing out only the new bills but the old ones are still valid until eventually phased out. Mennonite News View Blog                     A. Mendoza

  A display at Timberman Designs "Pizza Hut" in Shipyard, complete with drivethru Neighbors and friends at play, San Marcos Teachers and students at a summer Bible school, DuckRun 3 A cybertruck in Spanish Lookout caused a sensation A program at UCM church The beginning of a new school year A truck goes for a swim at the Baking Pot ferry crossing Guatemalan trucks being loaded with chickens Miss Loewen does a great job as chiropracter Mennonite News View Blog                                                 A. Mendoza

      Is it a 100% effective and accurate method of diagnosing body health or simply a "work smarter, not harder" technique? Or perhaps a scam to milk money out of unsuspecting customers? Could it simply be an electronic device which is actually algorithm-based and tampered before hand by manual input? On the other hand, plenty of customers are satisfied with its results and have demonstrated--or at least claimed-- improved quality of health.   QRMA (quantom resonance magnetic analyzer) treatment is a debated subject with no official scientific confirmation exhibiting the method as accurate or its proven effectiveness in curing illnesses, based on my research. But perhaps my research is biased; maybe my Gen Y mind cannot fathom such a mysterious theory of physics actually being applied directly to my own body and hailed as the final say regarding personal health. My  health.   To be honest I am personally fascinated by the study of quantom physics even thou...

A waterwheel in Lower Barton Creek, a colony of conservative and traditional Mennonites An approaching storm over Spanish Lookout Part of the effects of the above storm After 18 years, I finally tried werenaki (perogies) a second time. I think I'm good for another 18 years now. Students and visitors dining at CDI (Cayo Deaf Institute) Crossing the river at Lower Barton Creek Friesen Farmer's Fuel in Shipyard, an Old Colony Mennonite community on the main road to Blue Creek Logs, logs, and more logs piled in Shipyard The   Coffee Corner, a popular deli in Spanish Lookout Mennonite News View Blog                                  A. Mendoza

     "They made a mistake," he stated as he solemnly shook his head.   I leaned against his faded buggy and politely asked him about the Old Colony Mennonites who had left Shipyard for Peru. This elderly gentleman knew English more than Spanish which was a surprise to me. In fact he was fluent until he explained that he was born in Canada and migrated to Belize in his childhood. Now his accent made sense to me.   "They could have simply bought more land and expanded here, but no, they wanted to escape the worldliness around here." He insisted that no matter where you went, ungodliness was all around. Just look at Shipyard. More cars than buggies on the roads it seemed like. Smartphones everywhere. Due to the decaying world, it wouldn't be long until the new settlements in Peru would be just as "worldly" as Shipyard. ( The majority of cars and trucks on the road belong to non-Mennonite customers; Mennonite business owners are allowed to own trucks as lo...

     She has intense blue eyes and a confident walk with masculine strength in her arms, she does. If Shipyard weren't so far away I would return every week, yes sir, I certainly would.   It was a cloudy day with heavy gusts of wind which brought the rich odor of several hundred pigs across the road directly into our nostrils and all the way into our toes it seemed. My relative commented that the smell of pigs is the smell of money. True, raising pigs is quite a profitable business in Belize but unfortunately we were here for a massage not to soak in the wealthy odor of the hogs down the road. Like it or not, we were forced to smell those thousands of dollars wallowing in mud for another 30 minutes while we waited for Mrs. Klassen to arrive. Shipyard has no zoning laws.   I don't know what I expected but it certainly wasn't the slender short lady with bright blue eyes. Initially I doubted she would have the strength and expertise needed to deal with my injured s...

      Mr. Isaac Fehr is a certified doctor on the outskirts of Shipyard, an Old Colony Mennonite community in Orange Walk. We travelled to his office along with some relatives to see if our organs were functioning the normal way or if any wires were crossed or brains still awake. Turned out our relative needed a good dose of his tonic and other vital supplements to restore certain parts of the brain .   I discovered he's also a surgeon and chiropracter who studied in Mexico. His method of discovering what is wrong with you is by placing your hand on a scanner then reading a computer screen to see where the problem is. Based on his popularity the method appears to be quite effective in diagnosing illnesses. Shortly before we left he announced that he was expecting a busload of Mennonites from another colony.   Mr. Isaac Fehr can be contacted on the following number: 672-3817. DeStemm Radio station near Shipyard Mennonite News View Blog        ...

     Is having a maid a luxury or a necessity?   We learned a lot of lessons from hiring a Plautdietsch Mennonite maid. Not only did she introduce new Plautdietsch dishes, she has given us a small yet profound glimpse of life among those who are from the Old Colony communities and pointed out practical ways of dealing with certain situations.   At first I wasn't too impressed with her cooking. Now I have accepted my fate and moved on. Have you ever eaten soup from green papayas? Or buttered soup from young tender pumpkins? Or prepared flour tortillas with sugar? The last one created an uproar among certain members of our little family and for a moment I contemplated her salary. No Mestizo girl in her right mind would add sugar to tortillas. But a bit of sugar in the tortillas made by a Plautdietsch girl could be overlooked in exchange for her hard work. We soon saw the funny side of it though and honestly I appreciate and enjoy her cooking.  She also pointe...