LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – With the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, Becky Bywater, of Lakeland, said the memories are flooding back from a very special trip she took to the other side of the world in 2009.

“As I’ve often said, it was the experience of a lifetime,” she said.

Bywater remembers the flight, the car rides, the children, the build and the noteworthy people alongside her.

“Jimmy, Rosalynn, Claire, and myself right behind,” she said, pointing to a group photo in front of a home her group helped build.

Bywater, a former board member of the Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, worked on a week-long build in Vietnam with Lakeland Habitat for Humanity CEO Claire Twomey, and President Jimmy Carter and the former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter.

“One of the most memorable experiences I have ever experienced. Jimmy & Rosalyn worked & only took one picture. He would say ‘I am here to build not for a photo op’,” said Twomey about the trip.

In total, there were 300 volunteers from the United States and Canada working on building 30 homes in a Vietnamese village.

“[Former President Carter] was just so kind and so gracious and you know, it’s, the story is that we were kind of told ‘don’t talk about Vietnam’ because of the sad ending but the first thing he does is he gets up and says, ‘my son was here in Vietnam’,” remembered Bywater.

Bywater regrets not being able to pull the former president aside for a picture but did take a picture of Carter speaking at a luncheon at the end of the trip.

Bywater said she was told Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were also participating in a build in Thailand during the same trip.

“The word that comes to mind is humble. He was, and I’m sure it was his background growing up in Plains. He was a very humble man. He didn’t put on any airs,” said Bywater.

The Carters began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in their home state of Georgia shortly after leaving the White House in the early 80’s.

Eventually they formed the “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.”

“You can decide to reach out and help other people or be stingy and take care only of yourself,” said at a build.

Carter continued working on builds well into his 90’s until 2019.

He passed away Sunday at the age of 100.

“May the memories of President Carter bring comfort in this time of loss,” said Tina Forcier, CEO of Habitat Hillsborough. “Habitat for Humanity will be mourning his loss but celebrating an extraordinary life.”

Bywater said Carter had an invaluable impact on raising awareness about the organization.

“You just can’t measure in dollars and cents and from a marketing standpoint,” said Bywater. “Having grown up in Georgia myself, in a small wood-frame home, I know the value, the value of what he brought.”