Rod was introduced to DFA by Dennis and Bev Bedard. He made his first trip to Comitancillo in the spring of 2005, and continued travelling on missions until 2015. As a retiree, Rod would volunteer for two to six weeks at a time. During that time, Rod spent more than 36 weeks in Guatemala volunteering with DFA. Rod worked sterilizing dental equipment, tracking the procedures completed and ensuring that each patient received a gift after their treatment. He also took on the task of preparing breakfast daily for the team in Comitancillo, starting meal prep at 5:00 am to ensure that there were pancakes, omelettes, fruit, and toast ready for the volunteers to get their day off to a good start.