Missionaries feel blessed to have helped the needy
Trip to Ecuador was memorable summer experience
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
Andrew Rounds, 15, of Freehold Township, recently reflected about the time he spent in Ecuador this summer.

Andrew Rounds, 15, of Freehold Township, visits with a youngster at an orphanage in Ecuador during the Monmouth Worship Center's recent mission to the South American nation.

"You realize how much you have and appreciate the little things," Andrew said. "They have nothing and are happy to be fed two times a day."

Andrew traveled with his family to Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, as part of a group of missionaries from the Monmouth Worship Center, Marlboro. The trip ran between July 24 and Aug. 2.

This was the first mission Andrew ever completed. He said he did not expect the people of Ecuador to be so friendly to the visitors; instead, he expected them to act with wariness around the missionaries.

"It was the complete opposite," Andrew said. "They were so happy to see us. They were also very welcoming and tried to speak English for us."

The visitors were divided into two groups, one focused on evangelism among the people while the other group constructed additional rooms at a local school, Aposento Alto.

Entertaining children at an orphanage in Ecuador was one of the goodwill gestures made by representatives of the Monmouth Worship Center, Marlboro, who recently traveled to the nation in South America.

Jan Scheerer, of the Morganville section of Marlboro, said that in spite of the challenging altitude (Quito is 9,000 feet above sea level and the air is thin), the building team was able to support one another and complete its task.

"The teams worked hard to provide hope," said Scheerer, who made the trip with her husband, Bill.

Andrew's mother, Cara Rounds, said the children of Ecuador are beautiful. Rounds and Scheerer described the children as having gorgeous brown eyes and black eyes.

Rounds worked on the evangelism aspect of the trip.

"It was all about the kids," she said.

Rounds said at one point the missionaries visited the Remar Orphanage, which she described as a rough place.

"All the food they eat is donated from supermarkets after it has passed its expiration date," she said. "It was an eye-opening experience."

The children enjoyed the variety of activities the missionaries participated in with them, including arts and crafts, jump rope, dancing and face painting.

"They were so happy that people were playing with them. We took them out of sadness for the day," Rounds said.

The group also stopped by a soup kitchen, Pan da Vida (Bread of Life). Members of the worship center bought, prepared and served food to the public.

"Seeing the people humbled you, teaching you not to take anything for granted," Andrew said.

He believes that during the course of the trip the missionaries did make a difference to the citizens of Quito.

"I think we connected with them and I think that they were receptive to the message of the Bible," Andrew said.

The team also had the support of the area's churches, according to Scheerer. With this support the Ecuadorian children will have someplace to continue to go.

Scheerer's daughter, Karen Hewes, resides in Ecuador with her husband, Joe, and daughters Shari, 15, and Katie, 13. The family, originally from Marlboro, acted as host to the visiting missionaries.

Scheerer said her daughter took care of the 34 missionaries while they were in the foreign country. According to Scheerer, Hewes prepared traditional Ecuadorian cuisine as well as American comfort foods like pizza.

"We had three generations of family working on this trip: myself, my daughter, who was the shepherd of our group, and my granddaughters," Scheerer commented.

The Hewes family will remain in Ecuador for at least another year, Scheerer noted.

"After that, it's wherever God leads them," she said.

This mission was a good first-time experience for Andrew. Although he enjoyed the entire trip, he felt it was especially beneficial to have his whole family in attendance. He said he is open to participating in future missions. In fact, Andrew's senior class trip at Calvary Academy, Lakewood, will include going on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic to practice what he and his fellow students have been taught.

Overall the Monmouth Worship Center's mission to Ecuador was deemed a success by those involved. It was very rewarding to Scheerer, who was also able to spend a few extra days visiting her family and seeing more of the country.

Rounds found it especially rewarding because "We left feeling we were going to bless people, but we were the ones blessed."