The first time 10-year-old Josiah Vroege saw a Cherryville police officer, he simply turned and ran in the opposite direction.
Watching her middle child sprint back inside the house after simply catching sight of law enforcement was a tough moment for Josiah s mother, Stephanie Vroege.
A Cherryville native, Stephanie had returned last summer with her young family to town after five years of mission work in Uganda.
The stateside trip was a chance for the Vroege family, including her husband Gertjan Vroege, eldest son Nathaniah Vroege, 12, and daughter Sarah Vroege, 8, to rest and recharge before heading back to Africa this spring.