Mennonites in Belize

     Is it really? Perhaps if we lived in a country where the population is mostly indigenous, we could say that of the Mennonites. But we don’t; we dwell in Belize, where many Belizeans share either the same or similar surname as some of the Mennonites.   A recent walk through the Spanish Lookout cemetery aroused an interest in Mennonite surnames and the fact that a few “Russian” Mennonite names sound similar to local Belizean names. For example the surname Peters. Yes, there are Creole families with that title who are completely unrelated to any Mennonite whatsoever. Another one is Schmidt or Schmitt; the Belizean version of Smith can be found among many residents of eastern Belize. Then there is Janzen (pronounced YAN’sen) and Braun with the Belizean version being Johnson and Brown. Not to mention Wall and Martens (Amish variation is Martin which is also a Belizean name). So the next time you read the news and see that a Jacob Peters was arrested in Orang...

     We received an invitation to attend the Central America pastor’s conference which was being hosted by the Schoenthal church in Spanish Lookout. The assembly consisted of conservative Mennonites from the Kleine Gemeinde and various Amish Mennonite groups from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.   We enjoyed the services; the speakers brought forth their topics in a very expressive manner, captivating the audience. Their preaching reminded me of the Holdeman ministers during revival meetings. Besides the minister’s voice, the most noticeable sound was coughing due to a flu virus circling the country. Dry coughs, wheezing coughs, raspy coughs, wet coughs.   Daytime gatherings were reserved for the ministers and deacons but the evening preaching services were open to the public.   Snacks were available before the service began. View Blog A. Mendoza

     The cemetery is by the old church, across the road from Farmer's Trading Center I wandered among the graves which had received an upgraded marker not too long ago, courtesy of the Spanish Lookout community. I was searching for a specific name at first but instead became absorbed in studying the names and the dates inscribed on the stone markers and was reminded anew at the futility of our ambitions and the longevity of our legacy.   I meditated on a grave dated 1910 to 1994. Was the person born in Canada or Mexico? Did she die peacefully knowing her lifelong goal was accomplished? Or did she on her deathbed utter a dying desire for one thing to be completed?   Certain graves surprised me. The names were “spanish”, most definitely not Mennonite while yet another grave bore an “English” name. But… but… I thought only Mennonites were buried in a Mennonite graveyard. Based on the dates which hailed from the 70’s and 80’s, these were most likely dur...

  I’m sure many of my local readers have called Caribbean Tire either to purchase tires or to inquire about their ING-CO line of power tools and were answered by an automated voice: “Caribbean Tire is more than just a tire store…”   From selling and changing tires to acquiring car dealerships to introducing their own line of power tools to now selling groceries. I  personally discovered this recently after visiting one of their facilities in Spanish Lookout. Intending to purchase a cordless tool, I pushed open the door but instead of being greeted by rows of auto care products and various types of power equipment, I was greeted by: cooking oil, tomato sauce, condensed milk, spices and an assortment of other groceries as well as a chest freezer stocked full of frozen meats while against one wall a complete line of kitchen appliances was displayed. On a corner of the air conditioned building was a small deli which was where the smell of beef was coming from. ...

      Meet Viola Friesen, a Mennonite mom from Spanish Lookout who is blessing those around her by singing acapella from her home. View Blog Mennonite News                                                                                       A. Mendoza

     Publisher’s Opinion   Perhaps you are like me, relieved that the hustle and bustle of Christmas is behind us and eagerly anticipating a brand new year. Not that I hold anything against the holiday itself, but for some reason the more modern we become the more frivolousness is attached to the season, with the slogan of “the reason for the season” used by vendors as a shallow coating of morality in order to attract religious customers to their wares. Liquor companies offer huge discounts, department stores snare many debt-ridden families with their wily clutches of “0 interest” on any product purchased during this time, plastic reindeer and Santa decorations adorn living rooms and stores, the eve of Christmas is filled with people posting their Christmas adventures and gifts on social media platforms, etc. Like I said, I hold nothing against the holiday itself, what I do observe and wonder about is the extent to which Christians have become entrenched in thes...

     Christmas cookies Imagine for a moment that you are the ghost of Christmas past, and find yourself gazing in at the window of a Mennonite home, somewhere in the rainforest of Belize. Palm leaves are swaying gently in the moonlight, bats are just beginning to emerge from the dense jungle a few feet away, fireflies flicker over the muddy rutted yard. A cold wind accompanied by a fine dreary drizzle is causing chickens and other pets to huddle against each other for warmth. Yet inside the main room of the plain weather-beaten clapboard house, the weather is the last thing on the minds of the individuals who, wrapped warmly in sweaters, jackets and wool blankets, have fully given themselves over to the joy of the moment. Old but gold Christmas carols are enthusiastically sung by all without the accompaniment of any instrument. No matter that tomorrow Sunday they would spend a few hours battling knee-deep muck and mud on their way to church. No matter that the river is ...