An overview of the range of basic practical skills Christian workers encounter in many parts of the world; those practical skills that might assist missionaries in various areas of the world, including such things as auto mechanic skills, basic handyman home repair skills, cooking, clothes repair, etc.
Whether a missionary is moving to Tokyo or Timbuktu, Cairo or Jakarta, will greatly determine the type of practical life skills that may be useful to develop. Living in a major world class city of Asia, for example, it may be impractical to do one’s own car repair. Whereas, living in tents in the Sahel and depending on a reliable Land Rover may demand mastering basic auto mechanics. So, assessing the availability of basic skills depends largely on the area of the world to which the missionary is going—urban or rural, highly automated and dependent on electricity, automobile or public transportation, and the availability and price of food stuffs.
The list below suggests the major categories of practical life skills that may be useful to learn more about before arriving in another area of the world:
- Home Repair and Maintenance: including basic plumbing, electrical, and furniture repair
- Food Cultivation, Storage< (canning, drying, etc) and Preparation
- Rudimentary emergency medical treatment, and when to refer to a specialist:
- Vehicle repair and maintenance: Bicycle, motorcycle or automobile
- Home schooling:
