On a hot summer day in Baker, La., my husband and I entered a nursing home to visit a resident there, a woman by the name of Reda Beard whom we heard was performing a wonderful service as a member missionary. Being senior missionaries, at the time, in the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission, we were anxious to meet this sister about whom we had heard so much.

As we entered her room, we were warmly welcomed by Sister Beard, who was confined to her bed and unable to do much of anything for herself. However, we soon discovered that although she was physically incapacitated from arthritis in her legs and other problems, she was a mentally and spiritually vibrant individual who had found a way to be of service to her Heavenly Father.

Sister Beard has been spending about 30 hours a week calling people on the telephone and sharing with them a message about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's testimony. She says it is amazing how many of her contacts are interested in her message and are willing to have the full-time missionaries come by and deliver a Book of Mormon as well as share the discussions.

She has also discussed the gospel with every employee in the nursing home and has given each of them a copy of the Book of Mormon.

Sister Beard was converted to the Church at age 43 after searching many years for the true Church. She devoted the next 20 years of her life to family history research and temple work.

At age 65, she needed and began receiving full-time nursing care, but she was determined to continue to live a useful and productive life. With the help of her daughter, Serena Haymon, a member of the Church in Denham Springs, La., Sister Beard acquired a telephone and some directories of all the local towns in the area so she could begin her telephone missionary service.

The full-time elders in Baker have been diligent in following up on all of Sister Beard's investigator leads.

Sister Beard told us that she loves talking to people and sharing her testimony of the gospel because it always keepsher in high spirits. — Elder Dean and Sister Marion Clark, Salt Lake City, Utah. (Released Aug. 6, 1998.)

Illustration by Alex Nabaum.