Shown is an old mill on Mill Pond Road by Wreck Island Creek in Appomattox County. Missionaries Jim and Liz Baker provide a place of respite for other missionaries.

 Jim Baker/Contributed

Missionaries Jim and Liz Baker found a quiet place to serve God and minister to others through their whimsical property on Mill Pond Road in Appomattox County.

With numerous twists and turns along their journey, one thing led to another, which in turn brought the couple to the old mill property.

Just after the market crash in 2008, the Baker family found themselves in need of a home after serving as missionaries in the Ukraine for more than 15 years. Family needs led them back to the states. It was a nomadic period for them, as they didn’t have a home base stateside.

Liz Baker’s sister, who resides in Appomattox County, brought the old mill property to their attention when it was up for sale.

The old mill property had seen much throughout its history, serving people with its mill by Wreck Island Creek and later becoming home to a hippy commune in the ’60s. A professor from George Mason University led several students there to create the hippy community.

There’s more to this story in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Pick up a copy or subscribe at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to view the full article in the e-edition version.

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