Like the Amish in the US, the Mennonite Christian community shuns the modern world. Most Mennonites live in secluded, self-sufficient colonies. We get a rare glimpse into the life of a devout and isolated community.
The Mennonites embrace isolation, which in their eyes helps protect them from the temptations of the modern world. At first glance, time seems to have stood still in the Mennonite colony in Belize, where people still travel by horse-drawn carriage and do without conveniences such as televisions and electricity. They still speak an old form of the German dialect Plattdeutsch. But modern life is slowly making inroads in Little Belize. Wilhelm, the community’s former doctor, was expelled for owning a mobile phone. Fearing that their community was being tainted, some more traditional members decided to found a new colony in a remote jungle in Peru, where they hope to live according to old customs and religious beliefs. For the first time ever, a camera team was granted access to one of Central and South America’s traditional Mennonite colonies.
It may look like a scene from a bygone era, but these young people are part of a community in present day Central America. They belong to a Christian group known as Mennonites. Ultra-conservative Protestants who eschew the modern world. Here in the schoolhouse, girls sit on one side, boys on the other. They’re reciting passages from the Bible in Old High German. This morning, the youngest children are learning the alphabet. Look at the letter I’m pointing to. The older children are reading the New Testament, printed in Fraktur, a traditional German script. They are not taught history, geography or foreign languages.
That’s it. The children begin their schooling at age 6 and finish when they’re 13. Long enough to learn the basics. But this is how we learn from when I went to school and when my father and my grandfather went to school. That’s how we always have it. No universities, not any high school, college or anything. Our studying is practicing by learning and seeing what our father is doing. After he finished school, Abram became a blacksmith, like his father. He has 20 children. 3 of his 60 grandchildren are pupils in this class. Mennonites believe children are a blessing directly from God. Blue-eyed blondes abound.
Originating from Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, the Mennonites fled Europe 250 years ago
and some eventually settled in Central and South America. Devout Anabaptists, they strictly adhere to the doctrine of Menno Simons, a 16th century Dutch priest.
They lead lives full of rigour and discipline. There are over two million Mennonites worldwide, but only a fraction are Old Order Mennonites. Virtually self-sufficient, they live in settlements with their own schools, churches and trades. This isolation shields them from modern- day temptations. Now one colony of this secluded community has agreed to be filmed for this documentary. Life in this religious group revolves around the Bible. Everything is predetermined — right down to the color of their clothes. You just have to wear these kinds of dresses. It’s against our religion if you wear different clothes. The rules are very strict. Breaking them can have severe consequences. If people don’t obey the Church, we must shun them. Yet the temptations are many. A few months ago, Franz brought home a forbidden object: a smartphone. I know the reality. Now I do not feel guilty. I see there are so many good things in it!
Behind the serene facade, some members are rebelling. They’re challenging the community’s most fundamental doctrines. Wilhelm is one of the shunned. In their mind, a cell phone is made by Satan. Can Satan do anything? Nothing!
Abram, on the other hand, is averse to change. That’s why he and several other families plan to set up a new colony in an even more remote part of the world - the heart of the Amazon. You have to start anew!
That’s starting from zero to grow. So, who are the Mennonites? And why do they flee modern civilization?
Is it even possible to escape the contemporary world in this day and age?
We take a closer look at one of the 21st century’s most cloistered communities. Our journey begins in Central America, on the western edge of the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Situated between Mexico and Guatemala is the country of Belize. The former British colony has an extremely diverse population. Among its over 400,000 inhabitants are Mestizos, Creoles and Maya. Most of the Mennonites live further inland. Hidden away in the countryside is Little Belize, an Old Order colony established in the 1970s. Time seems to have stood still here. Cars are forbidden. Horse-drawn buggies are used to get around. Mennonites are not used to having contact with outsiders. They’re not hostile, but somewhat perturbed by our presence.
They don’t know what to make of our cameras. Some even hide their faces, like this woman. Is it possible to go there with you and to film there?
We don’t allow that because people get frightened. And young ladies, when they get pregnant, they get sick and so on. When they are filmed?
Yes, when they are filmed, because they are frightened. They are not used to it. That’s the reason. Conservative Mennonites spurn modern technology. But a few are open-minded — like Franz, who’s agreed to talk to us. I am born here, and I am raised here the whole of my life. I have never been somewhere else. It’s my home. Home country. I like it out here, I like the culture and everything. It’s beautiful. I enjoy my life. Franz is 36 years old. He lives on this farm, which he built himself. He and his wife Elizabeth have 7 children. 15-year-old twins Anna and Katarina are the eldest. Agatha is 13, and Elizabeth 10. Abraham and Peter are 6 and 8. And Sarah, the youngest, is 4 years old.
They’re a typical Mennonite family. Most have 7-12 children. They live a simple life. A few fields, a chicken coop and a couple of cows are enough to keep the family fed. The girls tend to the livestock. Don’t pour it all on the same side. Put some here, and some there. Franz works from home. He’s a mechanic. In his workshop, he repairs machinery for customers from outside the community. He earns around $500 a month on average.
His daughter Katarina finished school 2 years ago. Since then, she’s been working with her father. We have only girls. That’s why she has to do jobs like this. If we had boys, big boys of that age, then she would have to work inside, and the boys would have to do this job. This is probably a job for boys!
The roles in a Mennonite household are clearly defined. The women take care of the home. They do the cooking, cleaning and laundry. They also sew clothes for the entire family. And that, too, is governed by strict rules. When Elizabeth needs more fabric, she goes shopping. There’s no sign or advertisement to indicate that it is a store and the choices here are limited. This one is too dark for me. This one’s pretty!
Nice for the younger girls. The brighter colors are reserved for the younger girls’ dresses; the darker fabrics are for the married women. The men are to wear straw hats, and checked or striped shirts. Half a meter will do. Everything is precisely specified. Do you see any big difference between these two?
Elizabeth only speaks Low German, a dialect used primarily by Mennonites. Her sister-in-law Margareth, however, also speaks English and she fills us in on some of the customs. Yes, we have learned it like that since my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents. We just keep it like that. It’s been like that all the time. You cannot wear what you want?
No, you just have to wear these kinds of dresses. It’s against the religion if you wear all kinds of different clothes. You don’t have any rings or jewelry?
No, nothing at all. No makeup, nothing. No makeup? Makeup is forbidden also?
Yes, it is forbidden.
Why?
I don’t know. All Mennonites just have it like that. Do you like it like that or?
We don’t know anything else! We have to!
Material for two dresses and a shirt for what amounts to ?
There’s no excessive spending. Mennonites lead a life so austere it’s almost monastic, void of distractions: no music, no sports, and no television. The closest they come to a moment of leisure is in church every Sunday. We were asked not to film there. A community leader has agreed to meet and talk with us. William is something like the colony’s mayor. He, too, has 7 children. In order to give us a better understanding of their beliefs, he invites us to his home for dinner. The only source of light is a single oil lamp. The house has no electricity. The furnishings are sparse. There are no pictures on the walls. Only the bare minimum. Let us pray. The girls sit on both sides of the table, while William sits at the head, and his son at the other end. The meal is eaten in silence. It’s a practice Mennonites have followed for centuries. Tonight’s dinner consists of beans, a vegetable soup and sausages.
Life as it was lived in the 19th century. The Bible says that to be accepted into Heaven, we're not allowed to have any modern things, like TVs, telephones, computers or cars. We are taught to renounce modernity. When certain people do not want to obey the church, then we must shun them. They can no longer take part in community life. The law is explicit: either you abide by the rules, or you are banished from the community. A lot has changed since the Mennonites came and founded a colony here half a century ago. This used to be nothing but jungle.
Now, the colony is spread out over 100km² and boasts nearly 3,000 inhabitants. When they built roads, they paved the way for further development. In spite of their respect for the doctrine, some believers find modern conveniences hard to resist. For Franz, it all began when he had to buy a phone for work. He’s taking a huge risk by showing it to us.
Before, when I saw a phone or something, or if I had used it a little bit, I feel very guilty. I feel very guilty. Now, I know the reality. Now I do not feel guilty. I see there are so many good things in it!
Franz discovered the internet - and a love for music!
The rhythm of country & western radically changed his family’s life. They are very fascinated. They really like their new life.
It’s a new lifestyle for us, really. Before we had never any music, so we could never have any pleasure.
It’s a good pleasure for them. And then abruptly, Franz switches off his phone.
There’s someone coming?
My brother is coming. Franz, you must hide your phone now because someone is coming? From my brother, yes, I have to hide my phone because?
Not really, but I don’t like to see them mad. If they don’t see the phone they will be more happy to me. So, maybe in the future they will start to know more about the reality. Franz has to be careful even around his brother. If anyone finds out that he has a phone, he risks excommunication. This is what happened to Wilhelm, who used to provide medical care for the families here. He lives next door to Franz. Kind of a surgery room.
They sit down here, I sit down here, and then I have a speech. If they have pain in their abdomen, I would have them lay down, cover them up. All the people from the village came here and sat here?
Oh yeah, the preacher sat there! Yeah.
For 20 years, Wilhelm was the community’s lay doctor, although he has no formal training. His mother was a nurse and he taught himself by studying medical textbooks. He bought a phone in order to save lives. And I felt like I had to have it, because there were so many accidents. I felt an obligation to call a taxi or to call the doctors. I said that it was useful for me and I had it, and they were complaining about that, and they wanted me to lose it. And I said no.
It sounds better to work there. And having more, more people in the town who will buy us all the vegetables, and corn and soya and beans and all the things what we produce. They will buy more so we could sell more of what we produce. That will make us happier. Those moving to Peru are preparing for their departure. That entails selling most of their possessions.
How much for this set of bowls? Do I hear 5 dollars? 2 dollars, 4 dollars over here. Jacob needs to sell as much as he can. Whether it be a trash can or a casserole dish, everything must go. I’m selling whatever I can’t take with me. I’m selling the house, all the furniture, all the things we used every day. All we’re taking is our buggy. The rest will be sold. Every dollar counts. The money will go toward constructing the new colony. The auction lasts the whole day. One thing Abram wants to take to Peru is farming equipment. 11 families are sharing the space and cost of a shipping container. Take this over there. There is a lot. We have to put everything together, together, together until it fits. “Get back, get back.”
Only their most precious possessions will make the trip to Peru. That includes tractors and machinery needed to clear roads. The country has a few things, but they are not big farmers in the country. So, that’s why we think about, we can’t get it cheaper. We have it here, and we carry it over there. It’s cheaper than if we buy it from Brazil or anywhere. First to Belize City, then by boat? Yes, by boat.
The container will arrive two months after they do. There isn’t much room left, but Abram has a surprise in store for his wife. He’s going to take their marriage bed: the only reminder of their past life. This is the bed. So this is what we have ready. Your wife wanted to keep it?
Yeah. My wife wanted to keep this. She wants to keep the beds so that she will be happy there. Not lose everything. She lose a big amount, but not lose everything. It’s the evening before their departure. Abram’s family is feeling apprehensive. Especially his wife Elena. It will be difficult there. We had everything here. We have to start all over again. At the moment, their biggest fear is the flight. No one has been on an airplane before. Are you afraid of flying?
Not yet. But I don’t know how I’ll feel when I have to board. And you, Helen, how do you feel about going to Peru?
I’m really excited!
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