This last spring the Smith family used Salt Lake City as the meet up point to continue our journey to Rexburg, ID where Kate's Senior Recital was to be held. This ended up being no ordinary stop over. To explain why I need to go back in family history a little. (I tried to get Dad to write this part but it was a no go.)
In 1974 Dad was finishing up his mission in Aajoshima, Japan. Although his mission had been quite successful, this last area was proving to be more difficult. By the end of his time in Aajohima he was wondering if he had accomplished much of anything in this area (from what I understand this is a common feeling among missionaries). So Dad leaves the mission field to continue on with life. He met and married my lovely mother. With her, he had four beautiful children (hehe). He obtained a dental degree, served his country and started his own business. He has served in more church callings than I can recall and given more hours of service than can be counted. Life continued on.
Then out of the blue, he receives a phone message from a mother of a missionary asking if they had reached the Douglas Smith that baptized a woman in Aajoshima, Japan in 1974. Although, dad knew that he was there at the time, he also knew that he did not baptize anyone in his last area. Also with the last name of Smith in the Church he figured that they had the wrong person. The next day Dad received another call, this time from Elder Yamashita of the Quorum of the Seventy who was certain Dad was the missionary he was looking for.
Elder Yamashita went on to explain. He had just spoken in the previous General Conference about his conversion in Fukuoka, Japan and was asked to speak to the missionaries at the Missionary Training Center in Provo. He decided that this would be a great opportunity for his wife, Tazuko Yamashita, to share her conversion story with the missionaries and practice her English. Sis.Yamashita shared her story about a missionary who had taught her the gospel but was transferred before she had committed to baptism. After the meeting was over, a young missionary who was in the congregation approached the Yamashita's because he would be serving in Fukuoka, Japan were his father had served also. Through this missionary the Yamashita's were able to identify the missionary companionship that had taught Sis.Yamashita. Hence the calls to Dad.
After hearing the story, Dad remembered a young woman who saw him off at the train station. Dad dug through his mission memorabilia and found a letter from a newly baptized Sis.Yamashita that includes her appreciation and testimony. After finally confirming that Dad was the missionary they are looking for, Elder Yamashita suggested a reunion the next time Dad was in Salt Lake.
Back to our trek to Rexburg. Dad had let the Yamashita's know we would be in town and set up a time to meet. So off to the Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City we go: Dad, Mom, Jen, Grampy, Grandma Lorraine, and I. We head to the lobby and are graciously met by Elder and Sister Yamashita.
A very happy reunion proceeded through stilted English and Japanese.
Mom had put together a scrapbook that contained the letter Sis. Yamashita wrote along with some pictures Dad had. Sis. Yamashita was so moved by the gift.
After the initial reunion, we proceeded to the The Garden Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Building with the Yamashita's for lunch. While waiting for our table Elder Holland passed by us while heading to his lunch and jokingly stopped Elder Yamashita to ask were in Salt Lake he could get good Sushi. Dad was then introduced to Elder Holland as Sis. Yamashita's missionary and was thanked by Elder Holland for his wonderful service in preaching the gospel that brought such a wonderful woman the truth. The Yamashita's were gracious and it was wonderful to hear about their family. Sitting there marveling at events that led to this moment a scripture kept coming to my mind.
Alma 17:2
2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
I know there was great rejoicing at this reunion.
