Testimonials

I have been privileged to accompany Dr Goodman and 4 of her groups to Guatemala.  On each and every trip, I received so much more than I gave. Over the years I fell in love with the country and its people. I found them to be extremely intelligent and appreciative of the things we brought and did for their children and their communities. Dr Goodman had prepared me for what I would see, the poverty and conditions they had to live in due to no fault of their own. Their homeland has been impacted by colonization, civil war and many volcanoes and earthquakes. We saw the toll those many years of turmoil took on the landscape and its people. I came to learn how much they care about their families and how hard they work to take care of them. 

The mothers who accompanied their children to the clinics gave me a little insight into the love and devotion they give to their children. The strength these women displayed was inspiring to me. Their culture is very different from ours and it is steeped in many traditions going back to the ancient Mayan civilization. To respect the people is to respect their traditions. Our goal was to make their lives better in their many diverse communities and to respect those many differences in the process. They use what little they have in the most inventive ways as we saw in the homes where we installed the Chapina stoves. They were proud to share a meal they had prepared for us on those stoves once the installations were completed. The women of Zamora always host a welcome event for us and share the many beautiful fabrics they weave on a backstrap loom to sell to earn money to educate the children. 

What I was not prepared for were the changes it made in me and how difficult it was for me to return to my life full of opportunities and possessions.  I see how much I and many others take for granted and don't appreciate the opportunities we have been given simply because of where we were lucky enough to be born. I have been asked why I wanted to do this by many of my friends who have no concept of what it is like to live in these countries and my answer is always this; I hope to help make their country a better place to live so they are not forced to leave it just to survive.

 I have been on two healthcare mission trips to Guatemala and Ecuador with Dr. Goodman.  She established strong partnerships with community organizations that welcomed us and supported our work. Through these meaningful collaborations the Foundation supports what is most important to the community, such as screenings for school-aged children, primary care, foot care clinics, and installing wood stoves that prevent respiratory illnesses. Dr. Goodman is dedicated and caring. She includes everyone to learn and participate, and she generously shares her knowledge and expertise. Everyone learns and grows together! We met so many beautiful people and learned about their cultures.  I’m certain that the new friendships we formed will endure. This is truly a transformative experience in so many ways.