The Turner Adventures: February 2020

Taylor's Autobiography

LIFE AS TOLD BY A 12 YEAR OLD

Recently for a school project, our daughter Taylor was tasked with writing an Autobiography. As she read it to me, I had to laugh at some of the take aways she has gotten from all the stories we have told her. We moved to Botswana when she was just 2 years old...I would love to share with you a missionary kids perspective on her 12 long years...

"I was born on the 29th of June 2007. I had no hair and bright blue eyes. The first thing my dad said when I was born was 'she has my toes!' I was born at Rex Hospital in North Carolina, Raleigh. My parents both had jobs so I was with my dad all day while my mom was at work and then we spent 20 minutes together until my dad had to go to work. We would drive 2 hours to the beach for the weekends to spend with my dads parents and grandparents. I hated the car and would be screaming all the way there and all that my parent could do was roll down the window and turn up the music." (true...don't judge)
"When I was 2 1/2 years old we said goodbye to all my grandparents and great grandparents and moved to Africa. My parents are missionaries which means that they don't have to sit in an office to go to work which is nice because my mom was able to be a stay at home mom for most of the time. Instead of going to Reception (Kindergarten) my mom homeschooled me like all the other missionary moms but then realized that it was my DESTINY to go to a real school so I started Standard 1 (1st grade) at Thornhill Primary School. Of course my parents had to pull me out of school every 2 years to go to America but it was only for a few months. "
"I am now 12 1/2 years old with a 9 year old brother and a 2 year old sister and I am in Standard 7 (7th grade). I love to read and do art."

We are so very thankful for this spunky, independent young woman that the Lord has blessed us with!

Good Reads About Botswana

If you are looking for some good reads and want to learn a bit more about life in Botswana, below are some of our favorite titles giving you a glimpse into the life and history of Botswana. "Colour Bar" which is written about our first President Sir Seretse Khama and his love story with his wife was turned into a movie called "A United Kingdom" and would definitely recommend watching it. Some of Brent's favorite reads on the history of Africa as a whole are written by author Martin Meredith (top right corner pic)...big books but amazing depth and history. Amanda's favorite stories to read to the kids while we are camping or on safari are written by Peter Allison and include "Don't run whatever you do" and "Don't look behind you". Happy reading!

Friends for Life

We are so thankful for friends throughout the years that have walked this journey of missions with us. We first met Mark and Melynda Wint in 2009 as we were both preparing to go to Africa as missionaries. We went through training together and we both had little girls who were 2 years old. Not only did we become fast friends with Mark and Melynda, but our 2 year old girls became the best of friends. Once arriving on the field, we would see them 1-2 times a year as they lived in Zambia and we lived in Botswana. In 2014, Melynda found out that she had cancer and they went back to Kansas for treatment. Praise the Lord she is cancer free and they arrived back on the mission field in mid 2019 serving in Zambia again. We hadn't gotten to see them yet and when we heard they were in Johannesburg, South Africa (just 5 hours away) Taylor and Amanda had to go see then for the weekend and reunite after 5 long years. It was amazing to see them and the girls reunited as though they never had been apart. So thankful for the Wint family!!!

Recent trip to Johannesburg

BFFs-Taylor and Madylanne

Tay and I at the Mall of Africa

Morning out with the kids at a jump park

Best friends

Taylor and Madylanne at 2 years old

2009

Taylor and Madylanne at 2 years old

Be my valentine

It's so fun to celebrate Valentine's Day with the kids. Although we don't have the cute valentine boxes you make and take to school to receive Valentines, we always try to make our kids feel SUPER loved on this day (all the other days they are just loved, ha ha). So thankful for these little ones in our life!

Taylor going to a Valentine Dance
at her school with her friend Molly

Bradyn having a little different take on "Cupid"

3rd child Ellie eating a Lollipop for breakfast

Gaborone Dam

We love going and exploring and taking the kids to the Gaborone Dam just 15 minutes from our house. Water is very scarce here in Botswana so to see water in the dam is so special. We have had a very good rainy season and I think the dam is around 80% capacity. Water is life here in Botswana and we are thankful for the "rains down in Africa".

Who wore it better?

It's so fun to see Ellie wearing some of the same clothes and playing with some of the same toys that Taylor used to play with. The above picture is Taylor at 2 and the below picture is Ellie at 2 with the same swimming costume. So who wore it better??? The answer is both of them!

Taylor at 2

Ellie at 2

Honeycomb Hub

Ellie and I had a wonderful time at a little place called the Honeycomb Hub in Phakalane. They offer a wide range of activities for the kids and we went for the "Messy Play and Tiny Town" combo. Ellie had such a wonderful time and I loved watching her brain go into imagination overload.