Mennonites celebrate 40 years at Spanish Lookout
Were it not for an occasional royal palm, their neatly laid out fields could easily pass for Canada, New England or the U.S. midwest. But the rolling hills of Spanish Lookout were not always so well covered in corn, beans and pasture. In fact when the first Mennonite settlers arrived here in 1958 the land was covered in jungle, bisected by only a few rutted logging trails. Last weekend the pioneers gathered to celebrate their four decades in Belize…and Patrick Jones was on hand to wish them well.
Their journey to Belize wasn’t an easy one … but easy is one word not found in the Mennonite vocabulary.
Peter F. Kornelsen, First Settler
“Many crop failures because of the drought in Chihuahua made us think of a land which was greener and with more moisture. That was one big reason and also most of us who are Canadians wanted to be under the reign of the queen again.”
But those were not the only reasons why the Mennonites chose to flee Mexico forty years ago. According to one of the first of the new settlers, the Mexican government wanted to impose what was to their colony, some strange practices.
Gerhard Koop, Early Mennonite Settler
“Mexico didn’t want to sell much land to the Mennonites and we needed more land, that was one reason. And another reason was they wanted to bring social security system onto our colony which we didn’t approve of.”
Here in Belize the Mennonite pay all their Government taxes and also maintain their own system of local government and education. But those first days in the new land of opportunity were a challenge. With no infrastructure and precious little in their pockets, many found the task of rebuilding their lives in Belize too difficult and opted to return to the north.
Margaret Giesbrecht, Original Mennonite Settler
“It was a very hard life. The people depended so much on the rain for water. And so when the rain water became low we would carry water from the river side to our home which was quite a waste. The women and the children suffered very much.”
Those who stayed have over the last forty years have advanced into a position where they now play a key role in feeding a hungry nation.
Russel Garcia, Minister of Agriculture
“In agriculture, their contribution is second to none. They are the premier movers of the whole country and I will tell you, even in extension and research these are farmers who are free in their thinking.”
The Mennonites who settled in Spanish Lookout have remained close to their roots; Christianity plays a big role in their daily living and they have a passion for working the soil.
Margaret Giesbrecht
“It is very different. It is very nice to see that the people are moving forward with just about practically every thing in their lives as well as their businesses and also their church life and the way things have changed for I believe much the better.”
Denver Plett, Leader, Mennonite Community
“It has developed significantly because they used to drive only with tractors. Had to go to church only with crawler tractors because not even a rubber tractor could drive. And today you see cars and in the center I even see a paved road. That’s a great difference.”
It’s a difference that has some of the older folks a bit concerned that the next generation of Mennonites might be putting its emphasis on the wrong things.
Peter F. Kornelsen
“The younger generation has much different attitudes than we had when we came here I guess. There is only a few that would have the nerve to do that I guess.”
Q: “You say they have a different attitude. Does that mean you’re loosing some of the traditions or some of the original way of doing stuff here?”
Peter F. Kornelsen
“I think we do. But it won’t be all to the worst, noh, some things might be good that we did it that way.”
Gerhard Koop
“When we came here they were more conservative. And money, families that came here, they didn’t want to use automobile or trucks. Maybe only one or two for the community to own and the rest would go with horses or tractors. We’ve changed, you know that, we’ve changed: lots of cars and trucks and telephone was opposed and electricity was opposed, so we have changed.”
Patrick Jones
“This tambran tree is one of the bookmarks on the pages of the history of the Mennonites in Belize. When the first group landed here in March of 1958, the tree was here and served for a while as a church building.”
Denver Plett
“We started off here at the river. There was just about thirty acres of clear land. All the rest was high bush. And we moved into the country and opened more land, opened the roads and it was costly. We had just one little machine, 24 caterpillar which we bought from Beto Espat at that time and we started to open the roads with that.”
Before there were any established roads in Spanish Lookout – getting from point A to point B was a bit of a challenge and as part of their fortieth anniversary celebration they staged a re-enactment of the good old days.
Esther Reimer
“We went through the mud, many times the mud holes.”
Q: “Why?”
Esther Reimer
“There was no other way. Sometimes we made a path beside the bush where it was a little bit better.”
Q: “So all the roads in 1958 were like this?”
Esther Reimer
“No they were just mudholes up and on… not all the way just mud holes up and on.”
Q: “How did you all manage?”
Esther Reimer
“Oh sometimes we got real tired and we were laughing and all muddy up too.”
Patrick Jones
“Those primitive days of carving out dense terrain to what is now the prosperous Spanish Lookout are long gone. And the Mennonite say that as long as they remain in Belize their contributions to the country’s agriculture will remain second to none.”
Viewers should note that Spanish Lookout is only one of several Mennonite settlements in Belize, each with its own particular customs and rules of religious observance. Other communities are located in Shipyard, Blue Creek, and Barton Creek. A small number of Mennonites have left their communities and fully integrated into the larger Belizean society.
