Mennonites in Belize

  Scotiabank officially closed its branch in Spanish Lookout several weeks ago, except for the ATM which still operates. In their 10 years of existing in Spanish Lookout, they had been the victims of 2 major armed robberies, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. There are no plans to return to business.   On the other hand, Spanish Lookout community is now following the steps of Blue Creek colony in Orange Walk in establishing its own official and formal credit union made up mostly of tax-paying members. Their office will be located in the same building as Farmer's Trading Center.   Heritage Bank is now in the community and is currently in the process of building their own ATM in a corner of the FTC building.   Previously, FTC operated as an unofficial credit union for the community, issuing its own cheque-like coupons valid only within Spanish Lookout. Reimer's Feed Mill is still doing that, acting as a private bank for employees and other people and p...

 Western Dairies, the country's biggest processor of milk products, is hosting it's anniversay celebration for several days in a row. The party is countrywide but people still flock to the main store in Spanish Lookout because they like the spacious dining room, the drive-through and some items not available at the other branches and a chance to make new friends or go on a late night date. There are sales and discounts on specific products while some are half price. The celebration ends tomorrow.   Early morning At 5pm...the big crowd is from 7pm to 9pm A cardboard cow stands silhoutted against the setting sun.

 Early this morning BBN reported a Mennonite plane crash landing north of Belmopan, close to More Tomorrow village. The pilot exited the plane moments before it unexpectedly exploded in flames. It was an old single engine biplane used for crop spraying. The pilot was unhurt but the plane was destroyed.

  I write this as a personal opinion only and in no way does this link the Mennonites to Hitler's evil rule or Marxist revolutionaries.   Anyways, among German-speaking "Russian" Mennonites, like the KG and Old Colonists, there seems to be a certain trend, thought or mutual understanding that, as Germans with white skin and fair hair, they are somehow superior to other cultures and races. This actually goes much farther back in time than just here in Belize.   For those of you who enjoy reading historical fiction, you could check out some children's storybooks written by Mennonites such as Henry's Red Sea, The Earth is Round, and  Pig Boy. These books do not discriminate against anyone, they simply yet vividly describe life among the Mennonites in Russia and the characters' words and actions reveal their superiority complex to the Russian locals around them.   One thing is true, during WW2, Russian soldiers had very low morale in their ranks and looted and ...

  It's a fact. As time moves on, so do beliefs and systems and traditions.   Funerals in the German-speaking Mennonite division are calm, quiet affairs compared to the chanting, wailing, and fainting spells typical of other cultures in Belize. Some people consider them rather stoic.   In the KG, Old Order and Old Colony groups, they have their own graveyards within their colonies. Bodies are deposited into the ground and the grave marked with a simple marker. A church service is held before the burial. After the burying is over and guests and visitors have retired, the direct family and other close relatives stay together for a meal. Usually the evening before the funeral a viewing time is given to the public, an hour or 2. Rarely do they offer food or drinks to visitors. The KG and Old Order do some singing.   In the Holdeman and Beachy churches, the North Americans who are temporarily and permanently living here generally just go along with whatever practice the...

  It was a cloudy and rainy day. Two young men were heading home for lunch trying to stay ahead of the rain, but they never made it. Both were within sight of their homes, both lived on the same road, both were driving motorbikes, and each was coming from the opposite direction. They collided and both died on the spot. This happened in Spanish Lookout, on the 22nd of June, around 11:30am. I received the news at 11:45. One was the son of a Kleine Gemeinde business owner, another was the son of a non-conservative Mennonite mechanic whose home church is in Belmopan.   One of them had been a co-worker. My friends and I stood around in shocked silence when we were told our co-worker had passed away. For the rest of the day, everyone seemed to be more subdued.  The KG's son's funeral service was held in the big KG Schoenthal church on Center Road, and the other one's funeral at the Countryside Park, the place where non-KG people hold their funeral services.   I attended...