When we went back upstairs to go to the museum, a staff member approached us and explained that because of the remodeling that is currently underway, there was no elevator to take us upstairs. Because of the stroller, they thought we needed an elevator. What they didn't know was that we were very used to just picking up the stroller--kid and all--and carrying it up and down stairs. How do they think we get up and down the stairs at metro stations? We carry the stroller. But, they didn't know that and were being extremely helpful. They told us to follow them and they led us to the other side of the museum and through the "employee only" area. The employee area on the other side had an elevator that we could use to access the museum.
Unfortunately, using the back way to get into the museum area took even more time, of which we were rapidly running out of.
We began at the beginning of the museum, where there were time lapsed pictures of the bomb when it was dropped at 8:15 a.m.
We went through the first room, which started out with this gruesome and upsetting display of what it must have looked like right after the bomb was dropped. There were also some other displays that added to the horror and upset the kids.
After going halfway through the first room, Raymond and I looked at each other. This museum was the most important thing we had planned for our time in Hiroshima, and it was something that we wanted the kids to be able to learn from. In looking at the time, we knew that we simply didn't have the time to respectfully and properly go through this museum right now. We didn't want a repeat of Nijo Castle in Kyoto. We decided to leave and come back tomorrow. It was only 100 yen ($1.00) for our whole family in admission fees. We left the museum with the intention to come back tomorrow and spend the proper time at this important place.
When we left, most of the kids were bawling and upset by the little that they had seen. They were happy to leave and didn't want to go back.
The reason that we needed to leave was because we had reservations at a campground on Miyajima Island for the night. We were planning on taking the ferry out to the island, and the last ferry was scheduled to leave at 4 p.m. It was already a little after 2:30 and we still had to go get our luggage back at Hiroshima Station.
In order to retrieve the luggage faster, Raymond took the four oldest kids to the station to get the luggage while I stayed behind with Nathan, Audra, and Kirstin. They slow us down tremendously. I would walk to the other side of the Peace Park and meet the family at the bus stop by the A-Bomb Dome Building. On the way, I would stop by the ferry. We had checked the schedule online before we left Tokyo, but I would double check to make sure that they were running on time.
I made my way to the ferry with the three youngest....only there was no one there. The schedule that was posted was the same as what we had seen online, but the place was locked up and the ferry was sitting there. Hmmmm.....this could be a problem.
The little kids and I went up to the bus stop very close to the A-Bomb Dome. As we were sitting there, waiting for everyone else to show up, I watched as people walked by. Some were hurrying to somewhere important, others had packages in their arms. Some went by on bikes, others were walking with children.
I was a mess of emotions. I was upset by what little I had seen in the Memorial Museum. I was sitting very close to epicenter of where the bomb had been dropped. (I found out later that I was pretty much at the epicenter.) As I watched individuals walk past, I was overflowing with emotions. I am proud of my American heritage. I am proud of my relatives who fought during WWII. I believe that we needed to drop the bomb to end the war once and for all. And yet...
Our family has come to really love the Japanese culture, but especially the Japanese people. They have been very good to us. They are some of the most Christ-like people we have ever known. They have good morals and values. They are hard working. At times, we feel more comfortable with the Japanese people than we do in America. We love Japan, and we love it because of the Japanese people. I was fighting back the tears as I sat and watched people walk past me on the sidewalk.
And then....a very interesting thing happened. Call it coincidence, but the longer I live the more I don't believe in coincidences. A Japanese lady approached me and asked in English if I believed in Jesus. I was surprised by this, because less than 1% of Japan's population identify themselves as Christian. I told her that yes, I did believe in Jesus Christ. She explained to me that she was a Jehovah Witness and asked if she could share a scripture with me. I accepted, and she shared Psalm 46 with me on her ipod. The part that she read stated:
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
And then, she thanked me and said good-bye to me and the kids. I was surprised. This was the first Jehovah Witness that didn't try to give me a bunch of pamphlets and scriptures. Considering my emotions and what I had been thinking about prior to her approach, I was amazed by her choice of scripture.
"He maketh wars to cease.......Be still, and know that I am God."
Good thing to remember. These scriptures eased my heart a little bit. I don't pretend to know what God's role in WWII was. But, the war ceased. Japan and America have been in a good relationship since then. We could all take comfort in that.
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