From Mexico to MDS

People who serve with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) come from all over North America—and that includes Mexico, too.

That’s where Dietrich Reimer, 25, and Rosa Quintana, 26 are from.

The couple, members of the Blumenau Mennonite Church in Cuauhtemoc, are doing eight weeks of service with the organization in Grand Forks, B.C.

For the two, who are students at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg, service with MDS is “a great way to do something together and to serve God.” “I’ve never laughed so hard as here at MDS,” says Rosa, who is serving as cook of her interactions with other volunteers.

“I love to hear stories from the clients, and be with other volunteers,” adds Dietrich, who is part of a crew working on homes in the community.

Rosa and Dietrich’s route to MDS is a little circuitous; their home church saw pastoral gifts in the couple, who already have university degrees—Rosa has a degree in nutrition and Dietrich is a civil engineer—and offered to pay for them to study in Canada.

While at CMU, Dietrich applied for an MDS scholarship that pays his tuition in return for service, and that brought them to Grand Forks.

“It’s great to be able to make a difference for some people who lost everything,” says Dietrich.

“It’s a beautiful way to help people,” adds Rosa.