Residents

Pentra Trevino. She loves it when you can pronounce her name with all the beauty intended in the Spanish dialect. This mother of eight always enjoys visitors to her Community Village home. Like most of our families these days, her children are scattered from Saginaw to San Antonio. When Pentra lost her husband, she came to the conclusion she needed a home she could afford on her Social Security budget and one that met her various physical needs. Her answer came in two parts: Great Lakes PACE meets her health/medical needs and Community Village meets her needs for a safe home, nutritious meals, 24/7 assistance, and a friendly community.

Pentra fondly recalls days she used to play football with her children and go fishing on occasion. Many of those early days, though, were spent working together in sugar beet fields.

Today, life is a lot more enjoyable with activities like big ball kickball and BINGO. Pentra tells how she really appreciates the care she receives at Community Village and at Great Lakes PACE. She highly recommends combining the two programs to affordably address all the needs of someone advancing in years.

Monte and Mark were born and raised in Saginaw County. However, after their parents died, life took them on separate paths and they rarely saw each other during the intervening 25 years.

Monte moved to Community Village in 2019 and this year Mark’s guardian, noting the way Monte thrived, made arrangements for Mark to share a room with his brother.

The two men are inseparable and have surprisingly similar affinities for activities, friends, and even favorite meals. They quickly agree that Irma, Chantell, Kim and Sabrina are their favorite caregivers. Monte enjoys a daily game of “Sorry” with another resident, but both Mark and Monte like playing BINGO and enjoying a weekly movie with popcorn. They agree that their favorite meals are chicken quesadillas, spaghetti, and tacos.

When she moved into Community Village in 2016, Pat was not enthused about needing assisted living as a relatively young person. Yet she now readily appreciates Community Village and how the staff desires her independence and freedom just as much as she does. “Sure, there was a time when I had full mobility. I used to manage the housekeeping staff for a nursing home, but today I’m happy with the independence I have here. The Great Lakes PACE program addresses all of my health needs as I see a physician whenever I need and they coordinate my medications and daily care needs with Community Village staff. I’m free to participate in activities, take advantage of the paved walking path, enjoy some reading time, talk on the phone with my sister, and basically enjoy life.”

We love enjoying life with you, Pat!

The Sisters of St. Clare of Saginaw, a community of catholic women also known as Poor Clare Nuns, follow the example of St. Clare of Assisi by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and fervently praying with and for the many hurting people in our community.

Faith In Action

Just recently we got to celebrate Sister Laurene’s 91st birthday. Ever faithful, she continues to serve in her calling and to exude the love of God in her compassion toward the lonely and brokenhearted. We all benefit from her counsel, her humor is contagious, and her wisdom is well needed. Patient, kind, understanding – she lives such a good example to us all. While she crochets prayer shawls for those who are sick, she prays for them – never running out of people for whom she can pray.

In support of our ministry to aging seniors and because she values each of our employees and volunteers, Sister Laurene often attends our fundraisers. The large circle of friends she’s developed over the years will come visiting on a regular basis and usually join her for our Family Fun Night held once a month – always a great time for residents and their families to enjoy quality time together with a fun activity.

Perhaps what’s most admirable about Sister Laurene is that she listens quietly to the problem at hand, contemplates all that she hears, and when she finally speaks, she gives “sought after God” advise, always giving God the glory and never taking so much as a compliment. A divine talent, Sister Laurene convinces people that everything has to do with love… for God is love. Thank you, Sister, for teaching us!

Read the Tribute Poem for Sister Laurene’s 91st birthday

“When I was born, the doctor put me in his hand and told my mother “here’s your baby”. They put me in a shoebox to send me home. I weighed 1 pound and a half. They didn’t think I was going to live to be three years old and now I’m 78! I was one month premature. My mother put me on an old cook stove to warm me. That’s where I would stay until I was old enough to stay in a bed. Just like an incubator, they didn’t have those when I was in the hospital in 1940.”

Oh how we love to hear these stories!!!
Happy Senior Citizen’s Day!

Homemaker Recalls Christian Experiences

by Howard Peterson, Nebraska – The Sunday School Missionary (July-Sept 1959)

Some are called to be preachers or teachers while others may be called to be evangelists or missionaries, but here is a young mother with a rich full background in Christian training and missionary experience who is equipped to radiate her testimony to her own little family, as well as to the many others with whom she comes in contact. Her name: Mrs. Dorothae Hohndorf. This is her thrilling testimony.

“I doubt if time will ever fade the memories of those years at the American Sunday School Union Bible Conferences. I especially thrill at the memories of the long walks up the hillsides each morning for the sunrise services where we sensed the Lord’s presence in our midst. I often relive the ball games, wiener roasts on the banks of the river, the long hikes along the many trails, and all of the many good times we had with the other Christian girls and boys.

“I remember so well the day at camp when I made my decision to accept the Lord as my Saviour. Although I was not aware of what was happening, my life changed. The classes took on a new meaning for me. I thank the Lord for helping me to remember one particular class taught by a wonderful Christian lady, Miss Myrtle Johnson. She taught the first lesson that I can remember on full-time Christian service. This led me to think for the first time of giving myself as a full time Christian worker.

“These were happy years. Each spring I was privileged to teach Bible school for the American Sunday School Union. I had the joy of leading souls to Christ. Today this joy is being doubled as I see some of those that were won for Christ now receiving further training in Bible Institutes.

“Leaving my carefree days behind me, I began to prepare for adulthood and Christian service. I entered our state teachers college to prepare for teaching. After I had taught one year, the Lord led me to Grace Bible Institute from which I graduated. After the second year of Bible school, I ceased to travel life’s road alone as I united my life with that of Alvin Hohndorf in marriage.

“In March 1956 one of the speakers at a Bible Conference read from God’s Word the familiar verse in Matthew 28:18, Go ye therefore. The Lord used those words as if He were hammering them into my heart. I had told the Lord many times that I would go wherever He would send me. Now I knew the time had come when the Lord was commanding in a definite way.

“Step by step the Lord led the way. In five months I was on my way to Cuba! I would be gone for four months and I was going alone. Not because my husband would not go, but because this was the Lord’s leading for this situation. I went to teach school for missionary children as the missionaries were short handed for these particular four months. There I gained a wealth of experience in missionary life and broadened my special interest for missionary children.

“Since I have been home I have been able to share these wonderful experiences with not only members of my family but with others with whom I have come in contact.”