By Clinton Martin
I used to say, if you see Amish people in Mexico, they are almost surely there seeking healthcare, like surgeries or other major treatments. Long story short, it is not unusual for the Amish to go to Mexico for healthcare, because it is much cheaper for them there, compared to in the US. They are one of the largest cash-paying, self-pay customer bases in healthcare, and while they get huge discounts on procedures in the US (cash is still king here!) they can still save money going to Mexico.
However, today that’s not the only reason you’ll see Amish people in Mexico. You might also run into Amish people in Mexico who are there as “education missionaries” – that’s my word, not theirs. They probably wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the term, but that’s the best way I can describe what they are doing.
Why Amish people would be needed in Mexico, to strengthen educational practices in a like-minded community, requires a quick primer on the history of the Anabaptist movement (from which we get the Amish, and other similar groups.)
It all started in Europe, around the time of the Reformation. Essentially, the Anabaptist people, the forefathers of the Amish, Mennonites, Brethren, and other groups, were willing to move to wherever they could live their lives in peace. But in many cases, no sooner would some prince, duke, or king grant them permission to reside in his land, that permission would be rescinded for some reason, the persecution would start, and they’d have to look for a new place.
These Anabaptist groups often had certain things in common. “Non-resistance” (some use the term pacifism,) adult baptism (as opposed to infant baptism,) and the separation of church authority from government authority (no state-churches.) Oh, and they all spoke German. To say they were “from Germany” would not be accurate. Partially because the borders in Europe today are very different from 500 years ago. Germany didn’t really exist at that time. The German-speaking world was carved up into small principalities and nation-states.
One of these Anabaptist groups, which we call Old Colony Mennonites today, took a somewhat unique journey to the Americas. They ended up going from the German-speaking parts of Europe, to modern-day Ukraine, then Russia, Canada, and then from there down to Mexico.
They’ve been in Mexico for many years, but due to their difficult journey through the various countries, while they maintained their separate culture, religion, and notably the German language, picking up, packing up, settling down, and then moving again, led them to have little time for a functioning education system. In fact, while they flourished commercially and culturally in Mexico (largely because the Mexican government more-or-less agreed to leave them alone and not bother them) they realized that their education system was broken.
Most of the Old Colony Mennonites couldn’t read or write. They had little educational materials. To their frustration, they couldn’t even read the Bible, or their hymnal, or any other devotional material. How does one strengthen one’s faith if one can’t even read the Bible? They were concerned.
They were aware of the Amish in America. Similar beliefs. Like-minded cultures. Traditions in common. The Amish also speak a German dialect. So, the Old Colony Mennonites reached out to the Amish, asking them to come down and help re-establish and reinvigorate an educational system for their people – to help them learn to read and write.
The message was received favorably by some Amish here in the United States, and a formal effort to help their Mexican brethren was formed. The first Amish people to travel down to meet with the Old Colony Mennonites realized quickly how different the German dialect spoken by most Amish in the US had become from the High-German spoken in Mexico. Many Amish in America struggle to communicate in High-German. It is more of a written and read language for them, and when speaking they are much more comfortable in PA Dutch (which has almost become its own language entirely.)
So, the Amish here, who were interested in helping there, brushed up and studied up on their high-German before heading down, which added an interesting and intriguing element to the whole effort.
An excellent book has been written, “Called to Mexico: Bringing Hope and Literacy to the Old Colony Mennonites” author uncredited, which details this heartfelt effort. Much of what was written in this article was gleaned and summarized from reading this book. I got my copy at the Gordonville Print Shop, but if you aren’t in the area and can’t visit the Print Shop yourself, you can write to Old Colony Mennonite Support, PO Box 525, Nappanee, IN 46550 if you’d like to get a copy for yourself.