The Turner Adventures: July 2017

Fear Factor-Africa Style

Whew!!! It has been such a crazy 2 months. We have literally had volunteers here constantly since the middle of May. As crazy as it has been, God has done such amazing things through these volunteers being the hands and feet of Jesus and serving Him in so many different ways. So many have heard the Good News and many have come to personally know Him.

One evening we took a little time to play a game of "Fear Factor-Africa Style". Many, many laughs were had that evening. Here's a little glimpse into our evening:

Hula hoop challenge

Balancing a bowl on their head as the ladies here in Africa do every day

Transferring marshmallows across the room via a straw

Who can eat 4 Mopane worms the fastest

Mummy dress up

Guess that taste

Oreo from the forehead to the mouth the fastest

Getting marbles from ice water with your toes

Popping the other teams balloon first

It got really physical, but the 40 year old woman beat the 20 year old guy

Eating chicken feet

Eating polony

So much fun was had by all...thanks to everyone for being such great sports!!

Happy 10th birthday, Taylor

Where has time gone that our firstborn has turned a decade old?? We are so thankful for the beautiful young lady inside and out that the Lord is growing our Taylor Grace into. She is just so full of life and love for others. We got to celebrate for 3 days straight this 10 year olds birthday. The first day she got to go to a game park with some families visiting and even got to see a rhino. The second day she got to take cupcakes to her whole class and be celebrated at school. The third day she took 4 friends to the movies and a special dinner. Love this girl!!!

Birthday Cake waffles for breakfast

Movies with friends

Dinner out with her friends

A happy birthday song from the staff at the game park

Birthday celebration with friends at Madikwe Game Park

Happy Birthday sweet girl! In her words "best day ever!!"

Mt Zion Baptist Church

We were so excited to welcome Mt Zion Baptist Church from Alabama to come with their IWC (International World Changers) team of 40 people to work with us here in Botswana in early June. Unfortunately on the way to the Atlanta airport from Huntsville, their bus had an accident and one young girl Sarah Harmening (17 years old) was killed and many others were very seriously injured. Needless to say, this team was not able to come to Botswana to serve at this point. I think sometime we look at situations in life and have the tendency to ask God why this happened. To be honest we may never know the answer to that question in many situations in life, but we have seen how God's hand was certainly at work in this situation. If this team would have come to share Jesus here in Botswana, many 100's would have heard the gospel and it would have been amazing. Through this tragic accident hundreds of thousands have heard Sarah's story and her love for Jesus. See the journal from Sarah written below on the day of the accident. God is certainly receiving glory through her life and witness.

Join with us in continuing to pray for the Harmening family and all those affected especially Mt Zion Baptist Church.

Here is a link to the story: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/08/us/atlanta-church-bus-crash/index.html

Families come to Africa

One of our partnering churches, Cool Spring Baptist Church in Virginia, has been to Botswana many times. They have sent so many different types of teams, but this time 2 families decided to join our family for ministry and to walk through everyday life with us. It means so much to the people here in Botswana when people came to share Jesus, but the fact that these whole families came made a huge impact.

This church has been helpful in starting a church in the village of Ditshegwane, so of course we wanted them to go out and be a part of that ministry. We also had them working in the village of Molepolole with Molepolole Baptist Church in building of a playground in hopes of reopening an Orphan Care Center through this church and also doing a children's ministry program in the afternoons. God certainly used these families to bring HIM glory.

Ministry in Ditshegwane

The Feliciano family with Pastor and Mma Thokwane

Dupuis family teaching children's sunday school

Bryan and Penny with the Pastor and his wife in Ditshegwane

Church under the tree

Bryan preaching on Sunday

The ladies making us some breads for lunch-
Fat Cakes and Diphapata

Most people in the village are harvesting their crops right now.
This family was harvesting corn.

Ministry at Gaborone Baptist Church

Sunday School learning how we are to be a light shining for
Jesus to those around us.

Children's Friday Ministry-having fun

Isaac playing soccer with the boys from Friday ministry

Helping with crafts

Ministry at Molepolole Baptist Church

The kids LOVE their new swingset

Soccer!

Painting tires for a place for the kids to sit

Tires to play and jump across

"God made me wonderful"

Nehemiah Team

We are so thankful for 10 university students who have come to minister with us here in Botswana for 2 months. They are part of an IMB team called a "Nehemiah Team". It was so great to read their bios as they submitted them to us and to see how God had knit them together as a team before they even knew one another. While they are in Botswana, we have them working with 8 of our Baptist Churches all throughout Botswana doing evangelism, children's ministry, and youth programs.
We asked them to be flexible upon their arrival and to plug in and fully engage in every situation they were put in and they have exceeded our expectations in so many ways. They have boldly shared Christ to anyone and everyone around them. We certainly thank God for their willingness to serve here in Botswana!