Canadian Mennonites support Low German colonies
TORONTO, ON—A few months after returning from Chihuahua, Mexico, where they worked for two years with the Low German Mennonites of the Nuevo Casas Grandes area, Damaris and David Schmucker describe the experience as a blessing.
"There is a need to be connected with our Mennonite brothers and sisters in Mexico," Damaris says from the couple's home in Toronto. "It was a good opportunity to get to know our brothers and sisters in a different part of the world."
The Schmuckers served in Chihuahua through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada's Low German Program. While there, the couple ran MCC's educational resource centre, which includes a library, bookstore and thrift shop geared toward the Low German Mennonites from about 14 different colonies in that area.
MCC began working there in the early 1950s in response to hardships caused by severe drought in the colonies. In recent years, the relief organization's activities have included programs that address social and economic concerns in Low German Mennonite colonies, including supporting community programs such as personal care homes, a rehabilitation centre for those struggling with addiction, and a home for people with mental and physical disabilities.
The colonies vary in their approach to technology, clothing and worship. Some communities make use of horses and buggies on solar-powered farms; other communities, Damaris says, have the feel "of a Texas town almost," with big trucks and large houses indicating the community is thriving financially.
James Schellenberg, Low German Program Coordinator for the Winnipeg-based MCC Canada, says that while some colonies struggle with education, addiction and family violence issues, the communities are not much different than communities in North America when it comes to their spiritual and social concerns.
"There are more similarities than there are differences," Schellenberg says. "That doesn't mean we don't name dysfunction when we see it, but it doesn't help to label them."
MCC aims to work humbly with local partners in Mexico to address problems and work toward solutions, he adds.
The Schmuckers interacted with Low German Mennonites from a variety of communities, and Damaris says they were struck by the hospitality they experienced across the board. The door was always open, and the table could always be extended to include a few more people.
"We were outsiders and people always invited us in," she says.
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