History of the Mennonites in Central America (1968-2026)

Published on June 18, 2026
Phil Yoder moved with his family to Costa Rica in 1968, when he was a teenager. The early days after moving were difficult. Shortly after his family arrived, a volcanic eruption forced them out of their home. Their business venture didn’t work out, and they struggled to find somewhere to live. All of this was in addition to the challenges that come with adapting to a new culture and language. From those beginnings, the first communities of Mennonites formed in Costa Rica. Phil shares the story of those communities as well as some lessons in missions and church planting that he has learned from a lifetime of living in Central America. I Came to Christ. My Hippie Husband Was Indifferent - Heiko and Sabine Klien: https://youtu.be/Ai6XY-XUkWo Special thanks to Digital Manna (https://manadigital.org/) for hosting us for this episode. Our other YouTube channels: Anabaptist Origins: https://www.youtube.com/@AnabaptistOrigins Developing as a Servant: https://www.youtube.com/@DevelopingasaServant Read essays: https://anabaptistperspectives.org/blog/ Listen to essays as a podcast: https://essays-for-king-jesus.captivate.fm/listen The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.