from George Strong, Administrator
The Fern Lodge Focus and our website, https://fernlodge.org, give us an opportunity to share with you insights into our work in the healing ministry of Christian Science nursing. In our last issue, some of the Christian Science nurses on our staff told what brought them into Christian Science nursing. Now we will let some of the workers in other departments tell you about what Fern Lodge means to them.
Rosa Minchaca
A short while ago I was looking out the window at the time when a couple of our staff members were going to their cars to leave work for the day. She was off-duty after working a full shift, but as I watched, Rosa Minchaca, Housekeeping Manager, stopped to speak with a patient on the patio. They talked a while, with smiles on their faces, and then Rosa called over one of our Christian Science nurses, who also was headed for her car to go home. That nurse came and spent several minutes with the patient, giving needed assistance. Then the nurse went, with a smile on her face, to her car and home to her family. It was a simple scene, one that is repeated all over the world, for the simple reason that God’s children express God’s love. But that scene illustrated to me one of the things I love about Fern Lodge: for the dedicated workers at Fern Lodge, loving-kindness in service to those who come to us for care is more important than just doing a job.
Clovese Hughes
At Fern Lodge we always are working to fulfill our purpose. Our purpose is to heal, so you can imagine how happy I was with the following conversation. Our bookkeeper, Clovese Hughes, is a long-time Christian Scientist who has been with us almost four years. I asked her, “What did you think of Fern Lodge before you came to work here?” She answered almost immediately, “I thought of Fern Lodge as a place of healing.” Clovese was, and is, right.
A patient told us of her recent experience. She was praying for Fern Lodge, and her son called and said that he wasn’t feeling well. He had an instantaneous healing during the telephone call. Our purpose is to heal! Patients come to Fern Lodge for Christian Science healing, and to practice that healing, for others as well as for themselves.
Hilda Palomares
The Fern Lodge staff is dedicated to helping fulfill our healing purpose. Recently we asked some of our staff members, “What would you like our readers to know about Fern Lodge?” Here are some of their answers:
Hilda Palomares, Cook, said, “It’s a Christian place where everybody cares about the patient. This is a nice place to work. I am not a Christian Scientist, but I can see their healings. If I see someone having a challenging time, I pray and ask God to heal them. I get happy to see them healed.”
Anna Sunraingross
Another Cook, Anna Sunraingross, told us, “To me, Fern Lodge is a special place where family, friends, and people from around the world have found each other and are helping one another.”
Leticia Leon
Leticia Leon, in Laundry, said, “I feel good here. I love the patients. Everybody loves the patients. Sometimes a patient is sad, and I go and talk to them and then they feel happy. Fern Lodge is beautiful, clean and quiet. Sometimes when I come to work I don’t feel too good and I feel better once I am here.”
Allison Cook
Allison Cook, Head of the Kitchen Department, grew up going to Sunday School at the Hayward Christian Science church. She told us, “It feels like coming home, because it’s a family of Christian Scientists and I am discovering new connections all the time. Parents of friends come here and the friends can be reassured that their loved ones will be cared for with love. It really means a lot to me to work in a place that is a nurturing environment. It has a positive impact on my life. I am grateful for the opportunities for growth and nurturing; and the fact that people are praying is comforting. People are working for the higher good at Fern Lodge, not for self-serving, manipulative reasons.”
Jordan Bunting
And Jordan Bunting, Cook, told us, “Fern Lodge is a blooming garden of spirituality and love. We are constantly reminded of how beautiful the world can be through the inspirational landscape and the eyes of caring employees. The kindness and the compassion are visible in the food, the activities and the consistency that our patients experience. I’ve met some of my closest friends and some of the greatest people in my last three years of employment. This wonderful place has left me with some great memories and timeless experiences. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”