March 20, 2020 Volume 43 Issue 20 | When Mennonites migrated to hotter southern climates, there was a lot to learn. For generations previous, Mennonites had lived in more northern climates – lands that experienced warm but not hot summers, normally with enough rain, and winters with snow. When they first arrived in Mexico, Paraguay, and Bolivia, they lived in tents, and then began to build traditional homes made of wood. But these lumber homes soon proved too hot, prone to fires, and could not withstand pests like wood eating ants and termites. Soon, the new settlers took note of their neighbours’ homes and built adobe homes out of mud and clay. Today, brick construction is the norm.
Written by Dan Dyck, volunteer writer, Mennonite Heritage Archives; Photo: Mennonite Heritage Archives, Mennonite Archival Information Database.