Number 9

First, let me apologize for the length of this email, but if you make it to the end, you will understand why. I also felt it is important to try to give a little of the history and background of some of the places we have traveled.

Second, let me share the news that just missed my last chronicle. Catherine has learned to ride a two-wheel bicycle!!! She was so excited. She taught herself and I think it was the next day before she took her first spill. Her knees have so many scabs from running around and falling down anyway, that it is hard to tell what came when. I think we should buy stock in Band-Aid.

Sunday, after church, we thought it would be fun to rent some bicycles and ride along the river path here in Yamaguchi. We went to the rental shop, and they did not have any children's bikes. The larger bikes here are mostly a heavier frame and even Christina couldn't ride one of those.

After getting the girls over the disappointment, we were on to plan B. I remembered having seen a sign with a person riding a horse while I was out driving and we decided to check that out. This time, we didn't tell the girls where were going because we weren't sure what the sign meant. After following the directions of the sign, we ended up at a riding center complete with jumps and obstacle course. The girls were ecstatic when they saw where we were!

We wandered up to where the horses were and a very nice girl came out and asked if she could help us. Her name was Yuka-san. She spoke English pretty well, which made it easier. We told her that we would like to ride some horses. Something occurred to me as I was looking around, this type of riding is on an English saddle. I have never ridden an English saddle! Well, there is always a first time. Dana decided not to ride and just to watch us with Charlene and take pictures. (I'm not sure if that was because of the saddle or whatever.)

We took care of the paperwork, got fitted for helmets and went to see get our horses. Christina and Catherine rode the same horse. Christina went first and did really well. They have only ridden horses once, so the saddle difference didn't seem to bother them. Catherine did great too! She had a little more difficulty in handling the reigns, but I really think that the horse is used to taking cues from a larger rider. We each had an escort while we were riding, for a while the girls were even on a lunge line then, they had a small arena to ride around. Yuka-san stayed near the girls to help translate instructions.

I was given a beautiful sable horse to ride in a larger arena. Her name was Orient. I was taken over to a little larger area nearby to ride. The English saddle was very comfortable for me. The only thing I had to get used to was the differences in controls. My escort claimed not to speak English, but we communicated very well. He even tried to show me how to make the horse go sideways. I didn't understand at the time, but I did later, when I saw someone doing it on another horse.

The only thing that made me a little nervous was that there were two jumps in the center of the arena I was in and I didn't want Orient to get any ideas! For those that don't know my history, about 14 years ago, I had an accident while riding a horse and was unconscious for about 20 minutes. I had concussion, whiplash and a fractured hip. This was only my 3rd time to ride since then. Orient performed well and I had a wonderful time.

On the way out to Hagi, several weeks ago, I had seen a sign pointing to a town called Tsuwano. I checked it out in some travel books and found out there were some castle ruins. I thought it might be a place to go sometime. Although we have gone to many other places, we had not made it there.

Yesterday, Wednesday, when I took Dana back to work after lunch, I decided to head out and see if I could find the castle ruins. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains. It took a little over an hour. It reminded me of Littlerock and Pearblossom in CA with all sorts of little fruit stands along the road.

To enter Tsuwano, you drive through a huge orange tori. A tori is a gate, basically two pillars with a crossbeam. They are placed at the entrance of important locations. We wound down a narrow road into a narrow valley. It seemed all of a sudden, we were in this town with lots of tours going on and people running around. I had seen a few tour buses on the road up, but very few cars, so I was expecting a tiny little town.

I drove through the town to scope it out and we spotted a place to rent bicycles. I parked and we rented bicycles. The had bikes the perfect size for both of the girls and one for me with a seat for Charlene between me and the handlebars and a basket to carry our stuff in. The man gave me a map of the town with a possible bike path on it. I put the map in the basket and we toke off.

I wasn't sure how well Catherine would do riding on streets with cars and pedestrians, so I figured I would just ride and see what happened. We found it was best if I went first and warned of upcoming hazards, Catherine went second and Christina brought up the rear, so she could keep an eye on Catherine. Catherine did great and we had so much fun!

We found a small Catholic Church that was very nice. It was the first church I have seen in Japan where you actually take your shoes off when you enter, and instead of pews, there are tatami mats to sit on. I enjoyed a few minutes of quiet in God's house. I purchased a couple of booklets about the church and some postcards and we went on.

We had a nice ride around the city. I think we became attractions for a few tours and I know some schoolboys had a good laugh when I knocked my bike over and spilled the stuff in my basket. I have discovered that it is much easier for me to ride a bike than it is to walk with my ankle as it is. My foot doesn't hurt at all that way and we can cover more ground.

Tsuwano is a quaint little town nestled in a valley. Apparently, there have been many TV shows done there because of it cultural significance. It turned out that the castle ruins are way up a hill. You can take a chair lift to get there, but the girls were more interested in riding bikes and quite frankly I was too!

When we got home, the girls went outside to play and I started reading the map and the booklets I had purchased. I discovered that Tsuwano played an important role the history of Japanese Christianity as well. I also found out that there was another larger church only a block from where we rented the bikes that had a priest that tells the story.

I will be happy to share the booklets with the story, but I am also going to try to give a shorter version here, because it ties in so much with our pilgrimage to Nagasaki...

In 1858, the isolation of Japan for more than 200 years ended. When the European-American trade treaty was signed, representatives from several countries arrived in Japan for trade. Several French Missionary Priests also arrived. One of the conditions of the agreement was that they could build churches where they lived, if the wished.

Father Petitjean and other French priests built Oura Church in Nagasaki in 1865. It was named for the 26 Martyrs who were crucified in 1597. During the building of the church, Japanese would watch, but on the dedication day, none of them came. A month later, a small group of Japanese came to the front of the church where Father was praying and said "Our hearts are the same as yours." He learned they were from Urakami and there were many other Christians.

When news of this group of Christians spread, word was sent to Edo (Tokyo) asking what to do about the Christians. Before receiving an answer officials took action on their own and sent them to various prison camps around Japan. A group of Christians from Nagasaki were imprisoned at Otome-Toge from 1868-1873. At some point the total of people reached 153, and 36 of them died rather than give up their faith. Otome-Toge means "Virgin's Mountain Pass". Although the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to one of the martyrs has made Otome-Toge famous, there is no connection with the name of that pass.

One of the tortures that were inflicted on some of the prisoners was being stripped of clothing and put in a box 1 meter square and exposed to the weather, which was very cold. One prisoner, Yasutaro had a deep devotion to Our Lady and was taunted by the guards for 3 days in one of these cages, yet he never gave up his faith. A couple of other prisoners slipped out to see him and encourage him. He told them, "From 10 at night until dawn, I am not a bit lonely. Thanks to Holy Mary, a beautiful woman who looks like Maria-sama comes and talks with me. As long as I am living, please do not tell this to anyone." Apparently Jesus had sent his mother to console Yasutaro. He also requested that his mother be told that he considered this torture the same as being on the cross and he would die with joy in his heart. A few days later he was found dead, buried in snow.

Once the truth about the torture came out, dramatic changes began to happen. The prisoners were allowed to work as day labors, and they were given food and clothing. In June of 1873, they were finally allowed to return home to Urakami.

When we went to Nagasaki, we didn't know much about the church at Oura. We knew a little about the people of Urakami, but we weren't able to put everything together until yesterday. I am very thankful that God led us to Tsuwano.

We are planning to return to Tsuwano on Saturday with Dana to see the other church and enjoy a little more of the town.

Blessings and prayers,
Marion