In this episode of Our People: Holdeman Mennonite Stories, we sit down with a young woman from the Abbotsford, British Columbia congregation of Church of God in Christ Mennonite, who we will call Charlotte for this interview. At 22, Charlotte shares her life story, starting with her unique family background. Her father is a generational Mennonite, deeply rooted in the traditions and values of the Holdeman Mennonite community. Her mother, however, was not born into the faith; a Mennonite family fostered her after her mother passed away and her father was unable to care for her. Charlotte's parents faced significant pressure from both their families and the Mennonite ministers to marry young after her mother became pregnant. This pressure led them to a hasty marriage, with their first child arriving six months later. Initially living in Manitoba, they had two sons before moving to British Columbia, where they had two more children, including Charlotte. Charlotte delves into the complexities of her family life, describing how her parents struggled to balance their responsibilities and the expectations of their faith community. The ministers in BC played a significant role in their lives, enforcing strict adherence to the church's rules. When Charlotte was around six months old, tensions within the community and within her family began to escalate. A particularly harrowing part of Charlotte's story involves the family separation enforced by the ministers. Her brothers were taken from the family by the ministers, a decision that deeply impacted Charlotte and her siblings. This separation was a profound and traumatic experience, adding to the emotional turmoil within the family. Her father remained a steadfast member of the Mennonite community, while her mother sought a different path, leading to further strain and eventual separation. Charlotte also reflects on her own journey of growth and self-discovery after leaving the Holdeman Mennonite faith. She speaks candidly about the challenges of forging a new identity outside the community and the support she found along the way. Her story is one of resilience, courage, and the enduring search for belonging. Join us to hear more about Charlotte's inspiring journey, her experiences with family separation, and the lessons she has learned about faith, family, and finding one's own path in life. Follow us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://rb.gy/cj55td⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1KwYkbtbIswUN3z6JSrqz5?si=0913b1c334724490⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@OurPeoplePodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-people-holdeman-mennonite-stories/id1740613045⁠⁠