Mennonites in Belize

     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 man on the verge of suicide. His sad and tired eyes spoke of a deep internal struggle which was tormenting him. I prayed for him and said "God bless you". But it seemed I was too late. His mind was made up as I found out very soon afterwards.   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 sh...

  "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 The paper notes emblazoned with Queen Elizabeth II are now history and have been replaced by a more modern style, at least in looks, similar to the peso and quetzal.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 custimers; 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...