Have you ever heard about the Amish in Mexico? It’s quite a remarkable story. No, there are no Mexican Amish communities (at least not anymore). But thanks to their outreach to a group of spiritual kin, the Amish have had a regular presence in Mexico for the last two decades. Old Colony Mennonites are an Anabaptist group with some cultural similarities to Amish, including Plain…
Do Amish live in Australia? One family is being described as such in a major profile in the Sydney Morning Herald. The McCallums live in the countryside of the Australian island of Tasmania. Gregory and Bethany, ages 41 and 42 respectively, have eight children, and live in a way that resembles the Amish – dressing plainly, using horse-drawn vehicles, and forgoing public electricity and much…
To me, the Harvey hurricane and flooding disaster feels like it was ages ago, but it’s only been about five months. Of course, for those still dealing with the aftermath, the hurricane’s catastrophic effects are clear and present every day. Harvey displaced over 30,000 people and left $125 billion in damage, a figure comparable to the 2005 Katrina storm. Thankfully, material support has poured in…
Do you know any Yoders? If so, you might want to congratulate them on a big anniversary. It’s been three centuries since the first Anabaptist Yoder set foot in North America. Shipshewana, IN will be home to a special edition of the Yoder Reunion event: The 2017 National Yoder Reunion will take place Sept. 20 to 23, and it will commemorate the 300th year since the arrival of…
Who are the Old Colony Mennonites, and why are the Amish helping them improve their schooling? Ohio Amish church member Rebecca Miller returns today with some background on the people, and how the Amish became involved in educational outreach south of the border. A few quick points about this Anabaptist group, related to the Amish: They live in countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Paraguay, Belize, and Canada…
Have you ever visited an Old Order Mennonite community? One of our readers recently did, and shares a look at an off-the-beaten-path Ontario settlement in today’s post. Old Order Mennonites are spiritual kin of the Amish. Similarities include language, plain dress, cultural values, and of course an Anabaptist religious heritage. Amish and Old Order Mennonites live side-by-side in some places (like Lancaster County and the Nappanee, Indiana area),…
How does Hutterite technology use compare to the Amish? What tech-related challenges do they face? Which two issues concern them about their children’s use of technology? Linda Maendel, member of a Manitoba Hutterite colony, adresses those questions today (if you’re new to the Hutterites, an Anabaptist people related to the Amish, you can catch up at these posts: Hutterite Overview | Life on the Colony | Language |…
Do Hutterites go to high school? Who teaches in Hutterite classrooms? Is Hutterite schooling similar to Amish education? You asked Linda Maendel a number of questions on education on our Hutterite questions post. Linda, who happens to be a teacher in her Manitoba colony, addresses that topic today. — On Hutterite Learning Each colony has its own school and for most of these non-Hutterite teachers come in and teach the…
What do Hutterites speak? The Anabaptist cousins of the Amish communicate in a German dialect, but it differs from what you hear from the Amish. Manitoba Hutterite Linda Maendel explains her native tongue in today’s post. — Hutterisch – the Mother Tongue of the Hutterites Hutterisch, as Hutterites fondly call their language, is the Carinthian German dialect spoken by all Hutterites in Canada and the United States and some…
How do Hutterites dress? How does Hutterite clothing compare to that of the Amish? What are the differences in clothing across the three Hutterite groups? On our recent Hutterite questions post, some of you were curious about Hutterite clothing. Hutterite Diaries author Linda Maendel answers these questions and more in today’s post. — Hutterite Dress Hutterites, like the Amish, dress modestly. As you can see on the cover of…