2008 Speeches

50th Jubilee Celebration of the Blue Creek Mennonite Community (February 22, 2008)

Blue Creek
Orange Walk

A pleasant good morning to everyone…And thank you for inviting me to speak today on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Mennonite arrival in Belize. It is a great honor and pleasure for me to address you at your Jubilee Festival.  Indeed, you have much to celebrate.

Belize certainly was a different place in 1958 when the first Mennonites traveled along the Rio Hondo on their quest to find a place to settle where they could enjoy a peaceful life and religious tolerance. With hard work and perseverance, your predecessors were able to turn large uninhabited areas of jungle into pristine, efficient, and productive farmlands. Today, with communities such as Blue Creek, Shipyard, Indian Creek, Spanish Lookout and others, Belize is home to one of the largest Mennonite settlements in the world.

Throughout the country, Mennonite communities are well-respected as hardworking, enterprising people. You are well recognized for expertise in agriculture, carpentry, and mechanics and for your prompt and dependable services.  The Mennonite community is a vital economic agent in the Belizean economy, particularly in the agriculture sector, and makes a substantial contribution to Belize’s GDP.  Poultry products, eggs, corn, rice and beans provide the country with important foreign currency inflows and help the country achieve self-sufficiency in food production.  The Mennonite communities are often referred to as the breadbasket of the nation.  Production and distribution of wood products have also contributed to the important economic role Mennonite communities play in Belize.

Blue Creek is testament to that enterprise and resourcefulness.  Your hydroelectric plant, schools, churches and business are a few examples. The quilts, embroidery, and sewing of the Blue Creek Women’s Group have helped develop an awareness and appreciation of your cultural identity. 

The community also has a remarkable track record of social responsibility that extends throughout Belize.  The donation of food supplies to the needy and to the government hospitals as well as providing building materials and labor to help with neighborhood development projects. Additionally, you have consistently provided aid to the economy in times of natural disasters. These acts of kindness combined with commendable virtues such as honesty, faithfulness, and tolerance have shaped the character of the Belizean community.

The self-sufficiency and resourcefulness of the Mennonite community is an example for us all. It is a social construct that clearly demonstrates what people can accomplish when they work together.

Belize is characterized by its cultural diversity and diverse peoples living together in relative harmony. Your communities add to this richness.  During the past 50 years, you have made significant cultural, economic, and social contributions to Belize and other nations around the world including the United States.  And, it is a pleasure to be here to participate in your 50th anniversary celebration.   On behalf of the United States government, I say congratulations on your first 50 years of accomplishment, may you realize even more success going forward in the next 50, and may God continue to bless your community.

Thank you.