For years, Jehovah's Witnesses have been using the "Tourist Visa" to get their work done without having to go through the proper governmental and embassary protocol. I "volunteered" to go to several Central and South American countries and we were always on tourist visa's because it cost "too" much to get a residency visa or other type of visa. "Tourist" built the branches in central and south america, many times bringing in materials, parts, etc to circumvent customs and tariffs. They would have a local brother take you down to get an extension on the tourist visa and they would lie about what you were doing. If you were caught you were on your own. But they would use you as a mule to carry stuff in and out of the country on your personally paid for air travel ticket. So it didn't cost them anything. Sometimes, you could get 1-3 months on a tourist visa depending on the country. If your time ran out the local branch was reluctant to pay for the cost of leaving the country and returning. The local branch even wanted you to do it on your days off, so you wouldn't miss any work.
It is all this monopoly shell game and money that was indirectly donated for the cost of travel to build all these branches that they are closing down now. I know that the airfare paid for by brothers providing their own transportation cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for each branch. Now WT is cashing in on those buildings that were built to survive Harmegedon and serve as the center of worship in each of these areas. I assume that with the merging of the central american branches that El Salvador, and Costa Rica are being sold. Does anyone know?
You might mention that if your sister is a "chosen" delegate, IRS standards indicate that she can deduct alot of the trip. Check the latest tax code.