We live about a mile away from Mennonites but I have never imagined how different their lifestyle is.
I see them in town once a while buying stuff but that’s just about it.
Our school has a program dedicated to learning different cultures and why some have stayed the same for centuries. This year, it was my class’s time to experience the difference. I was overcome with excitement and my parents tried to help me keep my cool and advise me on what to do and what not to do during the trip. Part of being there involved spending the night and joining the community in their day-to-day activities. On the day of the visit, culture shock hit me right from the edge of town. Large strips of land with so much crop grown all over. Everyone seems to have duty and they sync in well with the rest.The greatest shock came when we had to settle in for the night. Although I didn’t expect to see any indoor air cleaning system, I didn’t see a lot of other things such as an oil heater, gas furnace, or any kind of climate control features. The only heating devices available were wood stoves and coal. Amazingly they were quite efficient that I forgot about the electric heater and radiant heaters I see back home. With this simple life, they hardly need a/c reps around, no boiler repair to worry about, no cooling install and of course, not a heating business in sight. I thought everyone needed a serviced air conditioning filter to get quality AC service but no, the mennonites were doing just fine. My quest to know more about HVAC to educate them about it was all in vain. What an experience!