Margaret Johnson from Two Harbors, Minnesota, is a member of the Superior (Wisconsin) Church. Her home is about ten miles from the nearest city, and is located in a forest. She used to work as a registered nurse, but now she is 91 years young, and retired. Recently Margaret told Mihail Baciu, her pastor, "You can be old, but you can live a life whose goal is more than to spend your pension. It can be a blessing for others."

One day Mihail asked Margaret, "What do you do all day? Aren't you bored?"

"Bored? What is that?" she answered. Then she showed him a big bunch of cards, letters, and pictures. As he looked at them, he realized they came from many different people who lived in many different states. It was then Margaret shared the facts about her retirement ministry.

Years ago Margaret decided to fill her time with something that would be a blessing to others. As a nurse she had dedicated her life to minister to others, so after Margaret retired she wanted to continue to help others. She subscribed to the magazine, Good Old Days, a publication for older people. In it she found the stories of people who were confronted with loneliness, depression, and sadness, or those who had recently lost a loved one. They all seemed to be desperate people. Margaret wrote down the names and addresses of those individuals and their problems in her notebook. She began to pray for the names in her notebook, and after some time she sent them a letter and a card of encouragement. Margaret wanted them to know they were not alone. Her letters also told about her faith in Jesus and how He is such a good friend and companion. Margaret added kind words of comfort that would apply to their unique problem. She would send a small book in the envelope that would be easy to read and have a strong and loving message, books like Steps to Christ.

Soon the responses began to trickle in. Here are a few excerpts from notes she received.

"Dear Margaret, You made me feel so special. I am just floating a foot off the ground," sent by Ruth from Kansas.

"Dear Margaret, I am writing to thank you for the two books you sent to my mom. Reading is about all she can do as she is bedridden, and has been for four years," wrote Linda from Tennessee.

Mihail asked Margo, "How do you get money for your project of cards, books, and postage? Does the church help you financially?"

She looked at him with a smile and answered, "This is my missionary work. I cannot do very much, so I pray and send out cards and books. I use my pension check to cover the costs. It brings happiness to me and to others."

At church recently Margaret greeted her pastor. Her face was shining. With joy in her eyes she said, "Pastor, I received some more cards from the people I wrote to. When are you going to visit me again so you can read them?"

So, what are you going to do when you retire? How about at 91 years old? It is a good time to plan for your future—now!

Mihail Baciu is the former pastor of the Superior Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wisconsin, and Bruce Babienco is the Lake Union Herald volunteer correspondent.