There is another, much darker side to the history of the strict traditional Mennonite colonies of Paraguay. This is not a story about all Mennonites or every Mennonite family. Many are loving, hardworking and deeply committed to their families. But in a society built around obedience, religious authority, conformity and family reputation, women and children…
After everything I have been learning about Mennonite history and the much stricter traditions of some conservative communities, staying here with Marilyn and her family has given me a rather different perspective. Marilyn comes from a Mennonite family whose parents were among the founders of a more progressive Mennonite community. They kept many of the…
The traditional Mennonite way of life was built around a simple but extraordinarily powerful principle: the community came before the individual. Faith wasn’t confined to Sunday worship. It governed how you dressed, who you married, how you raised your children, what you learned, what technology you used, how you behaved and even who you could…
It’s your day off. The plan is simple, noble even: sit quietly and finish that urgent sewing job due next Wednesday. No drama, no deadlines other than the one already breathing down your neck. Just you, fabric, and the sweet silence of productivity. Enter Marilyn … “Do you like to cook?” she asks, in that…
Victor and Maria, from Hidalgo State in Mexico, were on the Laguna Capitan tour today, and I really enjoyed meeting them. What an inspiring couple they are! Paraguay is their 120th country, and their last one in Latin America.
Another night tour last night, this time joining a lovely French couple, and we were rewarded with some great sightings. We saw a Chaco mara, which looks like a rather unusual cross between a large rabbit and a guinea pig. We also spotted two different foxes — the crab-eating fox and the pampas fox. The…
The garden here is bursting with fresh vegetables, and I’ve now been asked to help out in the garden as well. Things just keep getting better! Well, that’s what I thought as I sat down for our family lunch and saw some beautifully cooked schnitzels waiting for me. They looked delicious, and I was quite…
Another rather unexpected problem here at the ranch — vampire bats! Every year, the ranch has quite a few lambs that require bottle-feeding, and apparently the vampire bats are part of the reason. They make a small cut in the ewe’s skin and lap up the blood. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant, so the wound…