On Sunday, we met the Satohs, Murakamis, and their Japanese friends at the Salt Lake Japanese ward that meets in the historic and beautiful Granite tabernacle.
At the reception the night before, we had made a connection with some of Remi and Walker's ward members that our grand-nephew, Brigham and his family attend that ward. We knew him, but he didn't know us. We actually stayed with his family (his mother, Sonya is our niece, Ken's oldest brother, Jim's daughter) when they lived in Japan many years ago. He was just six or seven at the time. He since grew up, went on a mission to Japan, then married a fellow missionary (though they didn't know each other in the mission, but met after at college. ) It was fun to meet his wife and daughter and connect with them. They were very bewildered at first as to who we were. But Ken looks enough like Jim that they sort of figured it out before we explained. Ken prays for every family member that are on missions every single night, by name and mission, so he feels very close to Brigham as he prayed for him every day for two years. (He prays for every single grand-niece and nephew every day. I am amazed that he knows all of them and their missions. He also includes all missionaries from our ward.)
After church, we took Imi and Hiroyuki (the bride's parents) with us to St. George for a few days. On the way, Imi wanted to stop and see the apartment she lived in near BYU campus. As a young adult, she came to Provo from Japan to study English for six months. This is where she lived.
Only about a block away was our first apartment as a married couple. We frankly couldn't believe it was still there and occupied. It was very old then. We were there a few years before Imi came in the 80's.
We also drove around campus and showed them the new MTC. They were so happy to see all of this.
Monday morning, Ken made breakfast sandwiches for our guests.
I think I have told this story before, but Sister Kobayashi from Tokyo was called to our Japanese mission while she waited for her visa to come to her assigned mission, St. George, Utah. She was assigned to serve in Tsuruoka, Japan. So she was there with all of the people we love for several months until her visa came through and she came to St. George. Imi was very anxious to go and see her at the St. George temple visitors' center.
After our visit with Sister Kobayashi, we headed to Zion National Park.
After leaving the park, we had dinner at a café in Springdale. It was delicious. Hiroyuki particularly loved it. He told the waitress in amazingly good English that he loved the food, the décor, the music, and that his daughter came here last year(we brought Remi and Walker here when they visited last year) and she also loved it. He thanked her for all of it. Before the waitress came, he told us what he wanted to say to her and asked us to help. But he needed no help. I was so touched by his desire to express gratitude in a foreign tongue.
On our way back to St. George, we drove by Ken's childhood home. It looks terrible. It has been in disrepair for years. But the current owners have gutted it and are fixing it up. So far, they have significantly changed the roofline. I think it will be very nice when they get it done.
Tuesday morning, we went to visit Brigham at his winter home in St. George.
It was fun that our tour guides were the Footes. We have known them for years. They were in our ward back in the '90s when Ken was bishop. We recently served in the temple with them. This was their first day as missionaries at the Brigham Young home and we were their first tour.
We took them to the Red Hill to see the view of St. George from there.
Then we drove through Snow Canyon.
We had packed them a lunch that morning, so took them to catch their 12:15pm shuttle that was to take them back to Salt Lake. Hiroyuki flew home the next day. Imi stayed with her Japanese friends for another week before flying home.
It was such a delight to have our dear friends in our country and in our home after spending so much time in theirs.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
