A mil host of the on the green fence of cost as we its clear we means to join me for deep dive into the green transformation. For me, for you, for the plant. Ah, ah, it may look like a scene from a bygone era, but these young people are part of the community and present. Take Central America. Ah. Ah. They belong to a Christian Group known as mennonites, ultraconservative protestants, who shoot the mod. Whoa. Okay, wow. Bill says on one side, boys on the other, the reciting passages from the bottle in old. Hi jim. Hey, this morning, the youngest children and then alphabet o i nominate or a chicken look at the letter and pointing to mm hm. Oh, oh. Oh. The older children are reading the new testament, printed in front to a traditional german script, and not taught history, geography or foreign languages. The bible is the only text book. Oh yes, zane and baden, i teach them to read and you bet sing. I pray surely recite poetry right here and he account. Thats it would like mid to all the sun would be down to children, begin their schooling at age 6 and finish when the 13 long enough to learn the basics. I know, but this is so we learn from when i went to school in my, my brother and my grandfather went to school and we always have no university. Not a High School College or anything or studying as practicing my learning. If he were, tenants is a fighter doing with him after he finished school opera and became a black snake like his father. He has 20 children, 3 of his 60 grandchildren, a pupils in this class. Mennonites, believe children are a blessing directly from god. Blue eyed lawns abound. Originating from germany, the netherlands and switzerland. The mennonites fled europe 250 years ago, and some eventually settled in central and south america. Devout anabaptist, they strictly adhere to the doctrine of men or seamans. As 16th century dutch priest begley lives full of rigor and discipline. There are the 2000000 mennonites worldwide, but only a fraction or old order mennonites, virtually self sufficient. They live in settlements with their own schools, churches, and tribes. This isolation shields them from modern day. Temptations, now, one colony of this secluded community has agreed to be filmed for this documentary. Life in this religious group revolves around the bible. Everything is predetermined, right down to the color of their clothes. Just have to that is can address. Its going to religion, it will different colors. The rules of very straight breaking them can have severe consequences. Foreign dont are. If people dont obey the church, we must shun them. Yet the temptations a many, a few months ago, franz roach. Im a forbidden object. A smartphone, i know the reality, though i do not feel guilty. I see theres so many good things. Behind the serene facade, some members are rebelling theyre challenging the communities. Most fundamental doctrines will help is one of the shunt and their mind. Like a cellphone. Its made by system. So consider the living. Nothing. Oper am on the other hand, is a 1st to change. Thats why he and several other families plan set up a new colony in an even more remote part of the world. The heart of the amazon. With that a new to them from starting from 0 to grow. So who are the mennonites and why do they flee modern civilization . Is that even possible to escape the contemporary world in this day and age . We take a closer look at one of the 21st century, most cloistered communities. Ah, our journey begins in Central America on the western edge of the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea ah, situated between mexico and guatemala, is the country of police. The former british colony has an extremely diverse population among us over 400000 inhabitants and mosquitoes cradles and maya. Most of the mennonites live further inland. Hidden away in the country side is little belize, an old order colony established in the 1970s. Time seems to have stood still. Yeah. Cars are forbidden or strong buggy. So used to get around really minimal. Its not used to have in contact with outside us the not hostile but somewhat perturbed by our presence. Mm mm. I dont know what to make of our cameras. Some even hide their faces. Like this woman. Hes a possible good. Are you into syria . Early liter aloud at because people get frightened. And young ladies are when they get pregnant. They get shaker. So arm when theyre yeah, no film because they, theyre frightened or dirt. Theyre not that theyre not used to it. Thats the reason. Ah, the conservative men and id spoon modern technology by a few are open minded like france, physically to talk to us and learn here i am raising here the whole of my life. Ive never to be in somewhere else. My old home country. I like it like the culture and everything. Its beautiful. It enjoyed my life. Fans is 36 years old and he lives on this farm which he built himself with. He and his wife elizabeth had 7 children 15 year old twins and her and katrina of the eldest augusta is 13 and Elizabeth Tim abraham and peter a 6 and 8. And sorry, the youngest is 4 years old. There are typical men in like family. Most have 7 to 12 children. They live a simple way of life, a few fields that you can coop and a couple of cows are enough to keep the family fed. The girls tend to the livestock with oh, dont pour it all on the same side. Put some here and some there with france, works from home. He is a mechanic in his workshop. He repairs machinery for customers who are not members of the community. He owns around 500. 00 a month on average. His daughter katerina who 2 years ago since then shes been working with her father. We have only a girl. Thats why she has to do jobs like this. If we had boys big boys in that age and think she will have to, were again side. The boys will have to do this job. This is probably a job for, for boys with josh rolls and a mennonite household and clearly defined. The women take care of the home and they do the cooking, cleaning and laundry. They also so close for the entire family. And that too is governed by strict rules. Ah, when elizabeth needs more fabric she go shopping, there is no sign or advertisement to indicate that it is a store and the choices here limited. Ah, this one is too dark for me. This ones pretty nice for the younger girls. News, the bright colors reserve for the younger girls, dresses, the darker fabrics are for the married women. The men are to wear straw hats and checked all striped chairs. For half a meter well do. Everything is precisely specified. For us, do you see any big difference between these told at some time or another. Somebody home elizabeth only speaks plat, toich, or low german, a dialect. She is primarily by mennonites, her sister in law, marguerite, however, also speaks english, and she fills the scene on some of the customs. Debts are the have learned, like godsons, my parents, my grandparents, great grandparents. It just keep it like dads could have been like that all the time was where i watch. Oh no. You just have to where it is can addresses. Its going to religion. If you do all kinds of different clues, wont have any written law, you know, right. No, not doing it on no up make up. Nothing will make up. No good was for sure. Yeah. Why just oh oh, call old man and its just howard like dad you like why why, why we dont know anything else. We have to material for 2 dressers and a shirt for what amounts to 8 euros. Theres no excess defending mennonites lead a lot. So osteo, its almost monastic void of distractions. No music, no sports, and no television. And the closest. They come to a moment of lisha is in church every sunday. We were asked not to film then a Community Leader has agreed to meet and talk with us. William is Something Like the colonies may. He too has 7 children in order to give us a better understanding of their beliefs. He invites us to his home for dinner. The only source of light is the single oil lamp. The house has no electricity. The furnishings aspires. There are no pictures on the walls, only the bare minimum. Let us pray. The girl sit on both sides of the table while williams sits at the head and his son at the other end. The meal is eaten a silence. His practice mennonites have followed for centuries. To nights dinner consists of beans, a vegetable soup and sausages life, as it was lived in the 19th century. Well, dog redo would blow them resolve this today. Bible says that to be accepted into head and were not allowed to have any modern things like tvs, telephones, computers or cars. Among the were talk to renounce modalities and when certain people do not want to obey the church, the more we must shun that. No, they can no longer take part in Community Like really the only my dont really an agenda busy. My aunts lecture to know is explicit. I do. You abide by the rules or you are banished from the community. A lot has changed since the mennonites came and found the colony here half a century ago. This used to be nothing but jungle. Now the colony is spread out over a 100 square kilometers and bows. Nearly 3000 inhabitants. When they built roads, they paved away for further development and in spite of their respect for the doctrine sombre labors, find modern conveniences, hard to resist. For france at all began when he had to buy a phone for work, hes taking a she trys by showing it to us before when i saw a fall or something or use it a little bit, i feel very guilty at the very good. You know, i know the reality. No, i do not feel guilty. I see there are so many good things in it. Franz discovered the internet and to love the music. The rhythm of country and western radically changed his familys life. And me a, it, they really like their new life. Its a new lifestyle for us. Where we have nurse and music. So it could nurse have any life it, its a good overview. And then abruptly france, which is up, is fine. Theres someone coming rather is going to do it. Right. You must hide your phone. Now. This is for my brother. Yes. And i have to have my phone because id really but i dont like to to see them mad. If they dont see the phone, it will be more happy to me. So thats maybe in the future. They will start to know more about the reality. No. France has to be careful even around his brother. If anyone finds out that he has a phone, he risks excommunication, or that is whats happened to fill him. Hes used to provide medical care for the families here. He lives next door to france. Kind of surgery. They sit down here or sit down here. And then i have a speech, then pro, probably check it out, pin and there are abdomen. I would have them there. Dont cover them up schachter. Well, the people from the village came here last year. Oh yeah. Preacher said, there, yo, for 20 years, gil, whos the colonies, lay doctor, although he has no formal training. His mother was a nurse, and he taught himself by studying medical textbooks. He bought a phone in order to save lives. And i felt like i had to have it because there were so many accidents, and then i felt like an obligation to call a taxi or to call on the doctor, sir. I said it was so useful for me and i had it and, and they were complaining about that and they wanted me to, to lose it. And then i said no, that decision cost him dearly because he broke the rules, he lost everything. They then knew that they would excommunicate me. The day before i would say i heard about at least 60 patients at least 60 that went on the whole day upto laid on the light. The next day i got excommunicated, no one trams again. So that stops from 60 to overnight to 0. Since his expulsion wilhelm has been shunned by the community. These days he sells tires an hours drive from home. Ah he decided to found a new non conformist congregation within the conservative community. Mennonites, behind the wheel of pickup trucks, a surprising size. They belong to the dozens of families that now attend the new church. With, from all appearances, these believers still seem to abide by the traditional men and light codes of conduct. But on closer inspection, there are undeniable signs of change even from the pulpit. The sermon is read from a smartphone all there is no bible to be seen. With all the gospel of matthew, all the 11 disciples went to galilee to the mountain where jesus had sent them various it when they saw him. They worshipped him, but some doubted what the branch mob lawson. Yes it will be done. Not vill home instigated the construction of the new church are oh yeah. They are allowed to vehicles allowed music is allowed then they added only what its not allowed is drinking. And all that, what, what father says is wrong. This Development Troubles more traditional mennonites. They believed that souls are being lost. Ah, bram is one of those traditionalists. Hes joining several of the families who decided to leave police to set up a new colony, improve one thats more loyal to the old order. Yeah. Like we were billed at, theyre more traditional and on to community so that they will be more more, more em. I dont know exactly how to explain, but that People Service more conservative, more people together. Abram a farmer will embark on the new adventure with his wife and 7 children, even though hes invested a lot in his life here in a little belize. So this is the house what i had been at the 1st point so knowing. Busy i want to leave it, so let 4 out of people can use and now if they want to change, i havent batter won so they can put a new one. So thats how im thinking now. And now i want to sell it for whatever thing and the land operand peru represents the promise of an even better life. If 1st point is sad, like there, it sounds like the soil and everything. It sounds better to work dear and am having an having more and more like more people and a town who will buy us are to wichita balls and car on soya and beans and all the things what we produce. They will buy more so we could sell more, what we produce, that will makes our more happier. Those moving to preparing for the departure that entails selling most walk on them and not water bank. Why . How much for the set of bowls . Dry your 5 dollars to dollars . Quite on 4. 00 a month. Wow. Wow. Yeah, cub needs to sell as much as he can with ruby, a trash can or a casserole dish. Everything must go. Oh good. Im selling whatever i cant take with me. Oh, yeah. Well, okay, yeah, im selling, the house is my, all the furniture, all the things we used every day. Okay. Like all were taking is our bug. You the rest will be sold and its kendall. Its all a year for not being here. Every dollar counts. The money will go toward constructing the new colony the auction last the whole day they get it was one thing after a wants to take to prove is farming equipment. 11 families, a sharing the space and cost of a shipping container. Is that little take this over there, nan. Yeah, there is a lot. We have to put everything together and to get together and tell it fits that only their most precious possessions will make the trip to peruse. That includes tractors and machinery needed to clear roads the country has a few things. They are not big farmers inside in the country. So thats why we think about we can carrot cheaper. We havent here on the cart over there to cheaper than me, buy it from brazil or anywhere movers to believe city then by boat. Yes. By boat, for either the container will arrive 2 months after they do. There isnt much room left, but opera has a surprise in store for his wife. Hes going to take them marriage bed. The only reminder if theyre past life is, is the bed. So that is what we have ready. Once your wife wanted to see. Yeah, my way i want that to keep does she want to keep the beds . So she will be happy. Theres not lose everything. She lose that they go mom, but not lose everything. Ah, its the evening before their departure our Friends Family is feeling apprehensive, especially as wife elena brought merrick that it will be difficult. There. We had everything here or no, no, we have to start all over again. Fail to clinton dont done until at the moment. The biggest fear is the flight. No one has been on an airplane before. Turns out now. Are you afraid of flying . Lie . No, not yet. But i dont know how ill feel when i have to board. And you, helen, how do you feel about going through with it . Im really excited. Oh really . Oh yes, i cant wait. Oh that well see. Who gets on the plane 1st that and im gone. I dont want to be 1st move. Mm ah. Thats what im going to still go. The time has come for the family to go and stay home in the biggest one would i have or had in my life. Climb in boys, along with abrams parents want to see them all. So its not easy for his mother. This is the 1st time one of her children has left the colony. Oh yeah. Yeah. You know, dont worry, everythings going to be fine. Its all under control high quite well. Im still anxious. Yeah, i understand. Um lawyer, good bye. And safe journey get us isaac, will you visit us . Maybe in april . I yeah. Okay. Ah. 3 hours later they arrived at the a port in belize city. Theyre the 1st of the group to get there for abram. This is where the adventure truly begins. Is the 1st time what i am thinking, the place. Thats why im telling my children. Now i am reading 43 years. I want double with the plane. So in all my children all day, theyre happy all they can go what me together. Longer with dad than there. Ah, when i will go and i will go. Its going to be great. The rest of the group have also arrived. 7 families, 53. 00 people in total. Theyve all bought one way. Tickets. No one plans to return. Its time to say good bye op ramps parents came to the airport to make the most of the last few moments with the family. Ah, there were no hogs bookcases, a simple hand shake sufficing. Every one appears calm and composed. But ob ramps mother cant quite hold back her. She is. She doesnt know if shell ever see her son or grandchildren. Again, taking a huge leap into the unknown. Ah ah, the challenge is begin with the escalator. I with i hey, are you scared me neither. This is fine. Its a bit shaky. Opera am seems excited, but his wife elena is a little anxious. Whats that clouds clouds . Yes. Clouds were flying over clouds. I was wondering why there was so much smoke the journey will take 24 hours. After i stop over in panama, they arrive in lima, the capital of peru, with while waiting for the final flight to pull culpa, few can keep their eyes open. No one has slept much since they left belize. Lazy, lazy, lazy to long, full, oh, long chris in the sprawling group of minutes does not go unnoticed. The air force employee who checks in their luggage is curious. She knows where theyre headed and asked them about it. But why are you going to pu culpa that we want to work there . I guess work. If we go, we bought land there. Info can look and were going to work it. What will you grow . Because it will grow corn, beans, sawyer, le, mellum, a cucumber, peppers and tomatoes and all can, will keep chickens. Where will your children go to school . If you do get me, i think that that will build a school fee. There isnt one area at all, but well build one. Yeah. I never know. Im surprised. I