Our Weekend at Lake Jordan in Alabama

This past weekend we traveled to Alabama.  Our hosts, Jim and Carol Browder, are dear ministry partners, prayer supporters, encouragers, and friends. We have known them since our first term on the mission field and first hosted them in Guatemala back in 2007. They have since returned countless times. 

This was our second time in a row for them to host us at the lake during a Stateside Assignment.  If you would like to see photos and read about our previous visit there, click on this link: 2021 Visit to Lake Jordan.

Here is a look at this year's fantastic trip-

 

We left on Thursday afternoon as soon as we finished school. 

 

 

It was a five hour drive.  We arrived that evening to our beautiful lake house that the Browders had rented for us to stay in.  It was on Jordan Lake which is near Wetumpka. 

 

I loved all the windows in the house and the beautiful lake views we could see from several of the rooms.

 

 

 

The stairs that led down to the pier.  

 

There was a porch swing down there that was my favorite place to sit and enjoy the views. 

 

Thursday evening 

 

I was up early on Friday morning enjoying the views. 

  

 

 

We did some schoolwork on Friday morning and then that afternoon drove into Wetumpka to see the town.  It was featured a few years ago on the HGTV series "Home Town Takeover," hosted by Ben and Erin Napier. It is a very lovely place!!  Here are David and I in Wetumpka with the famous bridge in the background.

 

fall decorations in Wetumpka 

 

That afternoon the Browders pastor came over to meet us.  We spent some time visiting with him.  He is from Tupelo, MS and we enjoyed talking about people and places that we had in common.  Later, Mr. Jim grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for supper.  

 

Friday night lake view 

 

Friday night lake view 

 

We spent all of Saturday on the water.  We swam, kayaked, fished, and rode in the boat. The Browder's daughter, son in law, and grandson joined us for the day.

 

Cruz 

 

Ben and Cruz 

 

David and the boys 

 

David 

 

Cruz 

 

Ben fishing 

 

Mr. Jim drove us around on the boat.  My favorite part was looking at all of the other lake houses. 

 

Mr. Jim and Mrs. Carol 

 

 

 

us on the boat

 

a view of our lake house from the water 

 

 

The boys trying to throw David in the water. 

  

 

Ben's fish 

 

Cruz fishing 

 

 

Mr. Jim took the boys on a boat ride. 

 

  

 

These three boys played hard all day! 

 

 

us with the Browder family- 

Jim and Carol, their daughter Lindsay, her husband Jonathan, and son Brody.

 

 

us with Jim and Carol

 

 

the boys 

 

 

We ended the day watching football. It's my favorite Saturday activity this time of year. 

 

 

We attended church on Sunday morning.  Here we are with Pastor Brandon Wilemon.  

 

Here we are with Carol McGriff.   She and her late husband, Jim, are retired IMB missionaries and were our supervisors during our early years on the mission field when we worked with the Kekchi.  It was so good to see her!

  

Us with Carol and her son Brantley. Brantley was in high school when we arrived on the field, and we had no kids.  Now he's grown, and we have a high schooler.  Time sure passes quickly.

 

Just like we did on our last trip, we ended our time together with lunch after church at Habaneros.   We had a great meal, said our goodbyes, and then got on the road for the drive back to Mississippi.

 

We are very thankful for the Browders!  They have loved on us so well over the years and have always been very generous towards us. They are a blessing!!

 

a photo of the boys at the Mississippi Welcome Center