Mennonites in Belize

Yes, I'm excited to wear them.      I never dreamed I would be excited to wear a Mennonite dress because I wanted to. I still remember slipping on a crop top and cotton shorts and turning up my nose at cousins and aunts who were still in the Kleine Gemeinde church with their wide collars and even wider loose dresses (although their style has changed over the years with the younger ones now using more form-fitting ones and my attitude towards dresses in general has changed also). It's been quite a journey, hasn't it? But God is faithful. I still find it hard to believe that for weeks I eagerly anticipated this day when the church sisters from this Amish Mennonite congregation would unite to sew colorful cape dresses for me.   It certainly was a wonderful day with beautiful weather to match. Hubby stayed home to mind the toddlers while I joined the ladies accompanied by our 9-month-old who is breastfed and therefore inseparable. The spiritual refreshment and coura...

      I always knew my mother spent several minutes each morning fastening her headcovering, a triangular piece of black cloth mandated by the Kleine Gemeinde as a necessary garment for a baptized Christian woman whether single or married. I knew, and I saw, but I did not care. It was simply part of who and what she was. The few times I did ask I received a non-committal almost brusque reply. Yet there was a time when she actually skipped her morning routine and did not wear it. She repeated it the next day, then the day after that until I became perplexed and questioned her: why, Mama? There was a sigh and gentle expression as she attempted to explain that they (our parents) were no longer attending the KG church. Of course, I knew that much. We were now steady visitors at a new charismatic group which had recently broken away from the traditional KG church. But what about her headcovering? Well, the new church believed that some of the former practices were all traditio...

      It's the first week of the dry season, after months of extremely unstable weather. The sky was blue with a faint haze on the edges. Perfect weather for heading to the river to join the hundreds of spectators gathered at various points to observe and cheer the canoes competing against each other as they begin their 3-day journey from San Ignacio east towards the mouth of the Belize River. The race is held every year in this month to co-incide with the 9th of March, which is a national holiday. One of the main gathering point for observation is at the Iguana Creek crossing near Blackman Eddy junction. Since it's so close to Spanish Lookout, a sizable crowd of Mennonites also show up especially since several of their businesses sponsor canoe teams.   As the hot sun beat down on excited faces, the police patrolled nearby, controlling the traffic on the bridge. Interesting, isn't it, that despite all sorts of technology available at our fingertips in the first ...

A multi family yard sale A buggy from Lower Barton Creek covered to protect against rain and wind A family-owned nursery in Spanish Lookout The new soybean oil facility Rare flooding in February Early morning near Iguana Creek                       A new gift shop in Spanish Lookout                                Woodland Nursery A performance at Fusion Church, a "modern" church on Iguana Creek Road Employees at a store bringing down a metal gate Motorcycles on display at Universal Hardware Mennonite News View Blog Opinion:  Discrimination in Mennonite Groups                      A. Mendoza

     The fragrant aroma of blended soaps and spices along with a faint scent of pine and wood stain greeted me as I opened the tinted glass door. Acrylic paintings were artfully arranged around the room while on the floor in various nooks were wood crates overflowing with an assortment of beautifully crafted handmade goods.   Welcome to Spanish Lookout Gallery & Gift Shop, located on Center Avenue in the same building as Infinite Wireless, a small but unique store featuring local products from artists and hobbyists in around the community. Handmade coloring books by Karina Dueck, wall hangings by Grace Friesen, organic soaps by Mrs. Theresa Carpenter, cloth dolls, wooden spoons, organic chocolates, rustic wood crates built from pallet wood, etc.   Officially open as of today March 1, 2025, the gift shop aims to support local artists by providing them an outlet to display their products and boost recognition of local talent. So be sure to stop in and check ou...

     In a quiet corner of Gnadenfeld village where Baltimore Drive and Riverside Road meet, is Riverside Library, one of Spanish Lookout's two or three libraries. The blond-haired young mother who owns it greeted us warmly and cheerfully then assisted us in locating the specific books. Set inside a shipping container/trailer, it doesn't look like much from the outside but after all, it's the inside that matters and for those interested in the quaint and odd off the beaten path, it sure contains a trove of literary treasures which delighted our little bookworms.  There is that cozy, warm thrill that runs up your spine and down your arms when a new door suddenly opens and the first thing you see is row after row of books to choose from. You know that everything will work out for good in the end, you know that earlier you and your sibling were quarreling and that Mommy had to carry out something that caused your rear end to smart, you know there's chores to do back home...

    Woodland Nursery, on Duck Lane, close to Linda Vista Lumber Yard on Rt 40 W    After several weeks of unstable weather conditions, it was refreshing to see the mud drying up, a bright blue sky and the first winds of the Belizean “spring” weather. Perfect weather for driving around so we decided to visit a hard-working and thrifty widow in Spanish Lookout who owns one of the 3 or 4 nurseries in the colony.   Ms. Hertha Dueck greeted us politely and pointed out the various types of trees and flowers. She explained that she currently has 50 types of palm trees, including a rare one which grows deep in the humid jungle and is highly prized by illegal Guatemalans who sneak into the thickly forested and poorly patrolled southwestern corner of Belize. She also mentioned 30 different hardwood trees, an impressive number. I asked about a shade tree which attracts mammoth caterpillars with spikes an inch high that can deliver an extremely painful burn on your skin. Sh...