After our flight to Santiago, we had about a 14 hour wait until our bus departed for Frutillar. In that time we got food, SIM cards, bus tickets, and rest. About halfway through the day, we came to realize that the trainings at launch were ever so real. We sat tight at the local Starbucks with our teams mountain of bags and waited out the day. As the night approached and our departing time was growing closer, we knew that the four block walk to the bus station was not going to be the safest. One of our teammates, Rebecca, had been conversing and making connections with the police for most of the day and had pre arranged that when we were ready to go to the bus station, we could call upon them to walk us down there.
When the time came for us to leave Starbucks, Rebecca reached out the officers. They told her that they cannot accompany us because there were too many hoodlums in the streets and their officers were all too spread out to walk us to the bus station.
With the news that we would no longer have a presence of protection to the station, the team gathered in a circle and individually said a prayer of protection and guidance.
We gathered our packs and headed out.
As we walked out of the main plaza, the security guards patrolling the area told us to go right to the police station (instead of left to the bus station) and they would let us all on the subway for free (the bus station would have been one stop away). As we headed right we were greeted head on by a force of four policemen.
The main policeman introduced himself (I believe he said he was the Chief of Police) and asked us “Where are you going?”
We explained the situation briefly and without further explanation he said “Let’s go.”
Before I knew it, our team of seven (packs and all) were following a police officer, mother duck style, with three more officers trailing the caboose. We walked the four blocks through the very crowded streets of Santiago. As we walked, we saw many many more officers strategically placed around the streets watching the crowds. As the officer leading us passed by another group of officers, they would all tip their hats to them as he walked by. It was then that I had an epiphany.
Jesus is leading us to the bus station.
The protection given to us by the presence of this officer is only comparable to the protection given to us by Jesus himself.
The way the officers tipped their hats gave me the image of how the angels might respond in the presence of Jesus.
Even in the beginning of our walk, Emily, our squad leader, told me that she prayed that officers would show up to walk with us, and would you look at that, they did.
It was a prayer answered in necessary timing. Jesus knows the needs of those who lean on him for protection and meets the needs of those who put their faith in His presence and power.
The officer did not only lead us the the bus station, but inside as well, to the specific lane our bus would be departing from. We boarded the bus with ease and settled in to our 11 hour bus ride to Frutillar.
