Mennonites in Belize

    After two years of regulations and travel restrictions preventing them, the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite finally held a youth reunion in Belize. Visitors from various Central American countries as well as Mexico and the US were present.   The pattern remained the same. Visitors arrive Thursday night and Friday morning; activities on Friday and Saturday are usually only for baptized members. On Sunday the youth group presented a program (during these events Sunday school is always skipped much to my relief) which was open for anyone to attend but in the program itself only baptized youth were allowed to participate. Typical yet understandable.   I thoroughly enjoyed meeting old friends, watching the youth group interacting with each other since it goes without saying that these reunions are also a time for the single young men to "spy out the land", listening to the acapella singing, and of course partaking of the Belizean specialty, BBQ chicken with...

    Gerhard Schmidt   A young man from the Old Colony community of Little Belize in the Corozal District was officially reported missing this week even though he was last seen more than a week ago. According to a "source" of information, he had been temporarily working in Spanish Lookout but had travelled to Little Belize to visit his family. A few days later he disappeared. The "source" suggested that perhaps internal family disputes, such as leaving the Old Colony religion, might be part of the issue since a Whatsapp post just before his disappearance revealed he had made a decision which would have negatively affected his family. Whether this is the case or not, those with any information regarding his location are urged to call 911, 922, or contact the nearest police station.                                                   A. Mendoza

   After a few weeks of planning and preparing, we set our sights on Mountain Pine Ridge for a weekend of fun and spiritual sharing. The weather was quite fair, the mountain temperature a perfect 70°F, and the group small enough that we could all gather around the campfire to toast marshmallows and sing hymns.   As I chatted with old friends, made new ones, and sang along with them, I was strongly reminded of my days in the Holdeman Mennonite church. The playful banter of young men and women sharing the kitchen work, the solemn ministers joking and poking each other's ribs, older ladies joining in the outdoor games, children romping and screaming in fun without ever once referring to Xbox games or the latest electronic device or the latest horror movies. In fact, based on the general conversation you would think these people had never once watched a movie or heard of an Iphone. Unlike other modern church groups I've been in where the talk (accompanied by rather st...

    Mennonite werenaki (perogies)   Schmauckshoen? she asked, grinning broadly and offering me another perogie. I looked at her, drew a deep breath, and ran for the bathroom with peals of laughter following and my ears burning. This was my introduction to the famous Mennonite werenaki , 15 years ago. I had convinced a girl I could eat the perogies with cottage cheese filling even though she knew very well I was not a fan of both milk and cheese (why are Plautdiestch Mennonites so fond of milky, creamy, cheesy, WHITE foods?) hence her challenge. I lost.   Growing up in a Mestizo--aka "spanish"--culture influenced by Plautdietsch Mennonites from Spanish Lookout and North American Holdeman Mennonites, I grew up eating a good amount of what would be considered Mennonite food compared to our Mestizo neighbors: cheesy casseroles, mashed potatoes, etc. yet they were always seasoned with plenty of the necessary "spanish" spices and most importantly... colors. I have to have...

  A house in Spanish Lookout caught fire on Saturday morning. According to reports, a butane tank exploded and the flames engulfed the interior, causing the exterior metal framing to collapse. Fortunately there were no major injuries. A. Mendoza

    A family prays before a meal in Spanish Lookout   It's been a busy time for my blog, with articles on Mennonite foods and Mennonite cooking being the most shared and read. In fact, a single article received 2,000 views in less than 4 days, with the number of views increasing by the hour.    So for those interested in Mennonite cooking, what about an up-close, eye-opening video of a Mennonite kitchen where faspa is prepared and shared with visitors? See  below  for a video of a Mennonite home meal in Spanish Lookout.                                                    A. Mendoza

    A demolished barn in Spanish Lookout   With one of the country's main network providers completely down for several days (we don't have WiFi) I was unable to post an update on the aftermath of Hurricane Lisa, which entered the country near Belize City on Wednesday night, the 2nd of November, and traveled northwest toward Guatemala and Mexico. Belize City received the full force but soon afterward the storm lost hurricane strength and was downgraded to a tropical storm. Out in the west, in Spanish Lookout, we began feeling strong gusts around 7PM. The wind steadily increased, reached its peak around 9PM, then slowly died down. By midnight only a slight drizzle remained. Thankfully though no lives were lost. Most of the damage in the west was on barns and sheds, while uprooted trees and downed power lines could be seen here and there. Also in Spanish Lookout    Elsewhere in the country and in neighboring Guatemala: Branches litter a street in Belize City. Sour...