Mennonites

As it turns out, there is a large population of German-speaking Mennonites in Belize....As I was a bit hazy on the exactitudes of the Mennonite culture, I had to look them up on good ole Wikipedia:

The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496–1561), though his writings articulated, and thereby, formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders. The teachings of the Mennonites were founded on both the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, which they held to with great conviction despite generational persecution by the Catholic church state. Rather than fight, the majority survived by fleeing to neighboring "states" where ruling families were tolerant of their radical belief in adult baptism. Over the years, Mennonites have become known as one of the historic peace churches given their commitment to nonviolence, nonviolent resistance/reconciliation, and pacifism.

There are about 1.5 million Mennonites worldwide as of 2006.^[1] Mennonite congregations worldwide embody the full scope of Mennonite practice from old fashioned 'plain' people to those who are indistinguishable in dress and appearance from the general population. The largest populations of Mennonites are in the United States and Democratic Republic of Congo, but Mennonites can also be found in tight-knit communities in at least 51 countries on six continents or scattered amongst the populace of those countries. There are also a significant number of Mennonites scattered throughout China. There are German Mennonite colonies in Mexico, Paraguay,^[2] Bolivia,^[3] Belize, Brazil and Argentina.

We ended up staying on one of the largest Mennonite communities at a place called Barton's Creek Outpost, owned by an American family. It's pretty back to basics: leaky tents (you sleep on the verandah if it rains), no showers (wash in the river) and a massive trek to get there (more than an hour on bumpy roads, only passable by 4x4, or apparently, Mennonite wooden wagons).

It was really lovely though, rope swings into the water, long walks, gorgeous scenery. It was also interesting to meet some of the Mennonites. On first appearance, they are a cross between extras from The Village, and scary characters from Children of the Corn. But they are uber-friendly, and one of the most industrious (and wealthy) communities in Belize. If you want nice bread, a decently built house, or amazing fruits and vegetables in Belize, it's likely that Your Man is a Mennonite.

I've attached some photos below to illustrate (think this blog post could go on for some time otherwise, we really did have a very good time!)

Jimmy & Derek taking a shower:


The Mennonites don't really like pictures being taken in their communities...but if you look really closely at this one, you can just about see a distant wagon:


Relegated to the verandah after a rainstorm:


The journey back to town (as you can see, washing my hair in a river and then sitting in the back of a pick-up truck does not agree with my hair!)