Mennonite Kids
As I was walking, a small Mennonite boy came alongside me and took my hand. Surprised by the boldness and trust, I asked him if he knew my name.
“Jo,” he said. “Natalie Wiens.”
I did not even know he knew my first name.
The Mennonite children were generally shy and unresponsive when spoken to. From what I gathered, the reason is two-fold:
1) They are taught to distrust people outside their community.
2) They are not used to conversing with adults. In the traditional colonies, they are not even permitted to attend church services until they are 13 years old.
THEIR SCHOOLS
When we peeked into their traditional schoolhouse, the children were standing in front of their desks, chanting the time-tables in Old High German. It looked like the 1800’s, with barefoot children, wooden benches and slate chalkboards.
TRIVIA THEY DON'T KEEP IN THEIR HEADS
When asked how many siblings they have, most kids had to count.
“Jo,” he said. “Natalie Wiens.”
I did not even know he knew my first name.
The Mennonite children were generally shy and unresponsive when spoken to. From what I gathered, the reason is two-fold:
1) They are taught to distrust people outside their community.
2) They are not used to conversing with adults. In the traditional colonies, they are not even permitted to attend church services until they are 13 years old.
THEIR SCHOOLS
When we peeked into their traditional schoolhouse, the children were standing in front of their desks, chanting the time-tables in Old High German. It looked like the 1800’s, with barefoot children, wooden benches and slate chalkboards.
TRIVIA THEY DON'T KEEP IN THEIR HEADS
When asked how many siblings they have, most kids had to count.
posted by Natalie at 10:11 AM
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