A YOUNG couple are swapping life in Ringwood for the 40 degree celsius temperatures of Botswana in order to work with HIV patients for a mission organisation.

Paul and Tania Tanner were both brought up in Ringwood, where Paul has attended Poulner Baptist Chapel since he was a baby.

He has wanted to serve God in Africa for years and both he and Tania trained at Redcliffe Missionary College in Gloucester.

They are to head for Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, with their children Thomas, aged two-and-a-half, and Arthur, two months.

Paul is experienced in project management and will be working with the organisation Flying Mission, which works with people with HIV and Aids.

Botswana has one of the highest rates of the disease in the world. Paul will be part of their development team helping people with HIV and developing programmes for disease avoidance.

Tania has trained as a kindergarten and nursery teacher and plans to involve herself in encouraging child care and creative play for young African children before they start school.

They were both commissioned for the work at a recent service at Poulner Baptist Chapel. Church members are supporting their trip financially.

The Rev Adam Skirton, pastor of Poulner Baptist Chapel, said: “We are so delighted that Paul and Tania wish to serve God in Botswana. We’ll certainly be staying in close contact and are really excited to be partnering with them in this very valuable work.”