Police Encounters at the Park
Turning the corner and coming upon the front gate of my apartment building, I was confronted with a police car (serenazgo) and two men giving kissy sounds, saying “que linda.” Before you get upset, I must clarify that this attention was all for my little chihuahua, Sisi. The driver I’d had an encounter with previously as he had been out of his vehicle at a park by my house when our paths first crossed. He fell in love with my dog, and to be honest, I didn’t feel threatened in the least - I towered over him, so that helped. They drove off and I walked into my building.
That night on my last walk with the pup, I saw another serenazgo car coming my way - they patrol neighborhoods, so this is a normal occurrence. I made sure my mask was over my nose - current law states a mask is to be worn at all times in public - and continued to round the corner as we passed by. The patrol car slowed and I hear the same calls to Sisi “que hermosa, preciosa, cosita.” I immediately know who it is and just say “hey que tal” and continue on. (Side note: serenazgo is a cross between neighborhood watch and mall cops, although I haven’t quite figured out the distinction so it’s still kind of unknown to me).
They end up at the other end of the park and both officers get out of their vehicle. At this point I’m reminded of all the stories I’ve heard of people being wrongfully coerced by law enforcement, or being bribed, among other atrocities. Despite this, I had an overwhelming sense of authority and peace come over me as the two men walked my way. I also didn’t feel threatened because I was in my neighborhood, and I could easily outrun them, so no worries.
The man I’d known through previous encounter went straight to Sisi, but the other gentleman came and introduced himself to me. He began asking me questions like “Why are you here [in Peru]?” When I replied saying that I was a missionary and I work at a church, then came the flood: “Are you a Mormon? What do you believe? Why are you here helping when you could be in your own country helping them? What do you believe exactly? Are your parents Christians? What does your family think of you being here? Do you have siblings? What do they believe?” (and ALL of those questions being asked with heavy Peruvian slang, behind a mask, flashing police lights, and a radio that seemed to be on max volume).
I grasped for words, as I was not expecting this type of interaction in this context, but smiled behind my mask at the opportunity it was to share why I do what I do. I answered simply to most questions in saying this: I am here to live and show people that there’s a God that loves them infinitely, and he’s got a purpose for them and their families. If that means staying during a pandemic, so be it. If that means having a conversation with a police officer at 8:30pm in the park, so be it. I haven’t neglected my hometown, I’ve been MOVED with compassion for the generations of incredible people in this country I now reside.
The conversation turned towards him as he began to inquire and open up about his interest in missions. I told him to go for it, and he told me he felt called first to the cerros (shanty towns) of Peru, and then on to Spain. I was amazed at what was happening: one officer is sharing his desire to be in ministry, and the other is standing there, gingerly tending to my shivering dog. I admonished the first officer to get connected to a local church and find an area to serve in to get started. His radio started blaring and our conversation ended abruptly. My old friend, officer #2, said his name was Santiago and warmly smiled as Sisi and I made our way home.
I was struck by the value of small encounters. Small, insignificant moments, much like the ones leading up to that night with an officer that just loved dogs with every fiber of his being, that he just had to greet mine. The small-ness of explaining that I’m not here to prove I’m right but to show there’s good in this world. The intricacies of our idiosyncratic ways of living life bring us to these small moments with an enormous purpose. To anyone reading this - even if it’s just me reflecting from a future date: be ever present and attentive to small moments and encounters, for they are what build up hope in times of shattered dreams, and spark new life to dark spaces we dare not confront. (wow I’m a poet)
Time Stamp Updates:
CDV along with 1000 other churches representing 58 different nations put on a marriage conference for over 300,000 couples across the world
We successfully completed our first ever virtual mission trip experience and it was awesome
I’ve learned more about the DNA of this church and am so grateful to be part of this team/body
I’ve started doing yoga and it’s been WONDERFUL
I know there are some hard feels I should sift through but they’re hard to find sometimes
I haven’t been journaling, but I’m not beating myself up about it because #coronavirus
SIsi ate a chocolate truffle and didn’t die (praise him twice)
Big love, big hugs, besos.
Ciao <3
Elana
