“Tugging at my heart strings”

Mario Cruz is a seasoned Bible camp volunteer. From dishwashing to counseling to maintenance and preaching, he touched almost every corner of camp ministry over five summers.  

Camp nurtured the ‘heart, soul and mind’ love for God that he had read about in Mark 12:30. Cruz gained a tangible appreciation for loving God with his strength when he started volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). 

The 22-year-old was introduced to MDS while studying at Columbia Bible College (CBC) in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He joined student teams, responding to a wildfire in Paradise, California, and a tornado in Port Isabel, Texas, over two reading week breaks.  

“It’s really cool to be able to spend the whole day serving God and feel tired by the end of it because it means that you served God with all your strength,” Cruz explained. 

Maria Cruz volunteered at Fraser Lake Camp throughout the month of July alongside weekly family volunteers.
MDS photo/Nikki Hamm Gwala

He was awarded an MDS Canada Service Scholarship a year after his introduction to the organization. As a 2024 scholarship recipient, he prepared for four weeks of volunteer service and was surprised to find his camp and construction interests meet in one of the placement options: an Ontario summer camp. Cruz felt God tugging at his heart strings. 

Throughout the month of July, he worked alongside family volunteers at Fraser Lake Camp, near Bancroft, Ontario. The MDS volunteer team built cabins to house camp volunteers and facilitate program activities. 

“I’ve never done… cabin building or the construction side of camp ministry,” said Cruz, who appreciated a new focus to his already varied camp experiences. 

He was ever present at the month-long project, welcoming a handful of new families each week. His favourite part: working with kids and youth. 

“It feels like I’m still able to do… camp ministry,” reflected Cruz. Instead of typical camp activities, he mentored youth volunteers in construction, teaching them how to use tools that he recently learned to use himself. “[It gives] them confidence that they can… do it too.”  

Mario Cruz offers direction to youth volunteers Amos Dick (left) and Ryan Fransen (right) as they install insulation.
MDS photo/Nikki Hamm Gwala

During his summers at camp, Cruz admits that he never thought about who built the cabins he spent so much time in.  

“But at the end of the day,” he said, “it’s not about me building these cabins. It’s about who God puts in these cabins and how… He reveals Himself to them.” 

Cruz enters his final year of church ministry studies at CBC this September. He looks to future ministry opportunities with an open heart — and with certainty that he will use the practical skills he’s learned through MDS — whether they’re applied in a church, camp or housing ministry. 

Nikki Hamm Gwala, MDS Canada Communications