Kona and Lori from Bessie's Hope

Kona went to pet heaven July 9, but he wants Lori to continue with the elder visits that he enjoyed so much.  He will definitely be there in spirit. Below is a testimony from Lori Powers for a feature we wanted to do.  He died just a couple of days after this was written.  Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Lori, and our gratitude goes out to both Lori and Kona, for all the difference they have made in the lives of elders. Below is a note we received from Lori just before Kona's passing:

Kona and I are SO privileged to be a part of the Juniper Village family. And yes, we do feel like part of the family. We’ve seen growth in one particular resident who lives in Garden House. She had a rocky start when first moving into this wonderful community. In the beginning we were unable to encourage her to interact with Kona and me. We persevered visit after visit. Talk about baby steps, she began petting Kona minutes at a time. Then she began talking with me a bit. Every interaction was a victory. We’ve seen her blossom, comfortably accepting and becoming a part of Juniper Village.

So many residents have blessed us. Kona knows when someone starts their day on the wrong side of the bed. He just knows this stuff. After introducing Kona to the person, I ask if they would like to pet him. They may only give him one or two pats on the head then stop. However, Kona continues to stay with that resident, lying beside their chair for several minutes. They will look down at him occasionally, smiling. We can get residents to speak to him when they seem unable to do so. We can get residents allow me to move their contracted hands to pet Kona. Their smiles bless us. With no urging some residents will talk with us about their childhood, clearly remembering every detail of that time long ago. The biggest victory is when Kona brings a resident back to the here and now. If only for a few minutes. When our visit ends so does the victory. Or does it? We still get a smile from that person. Sometimes it’s the small things which make all of us happy. Now that’s victory!

Thank you for the privilege and blessing of being a part of Juniper Village.