She volunteered in Brazil four times and has also worked in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Last year, she lead a group of 12 volunteers to Salvador, Brazil, to repair a church and build a parsonage on top of the church. At night, mattresses were spread across the room. No one got sick of each of each other, though. The Goodwins make sure that every work team has the experience of meeting local people.
Volunteers always spend the night or share a meal or cultural event with a family.
The work team usually works on a project that local people can finish. I became the person in charge of the last group. As the youngest on the trip and a woman, that made my challenges very big. The Goodwins kept my mind at peace when things got stressful. They're incredibly patient.