Do missionaries still live in mud huts?

It's a good question.

Yes some may.  But we don't.

Although the photo at the top of our blog depicts mud huts of the Kalahari, and we currently live in a stone house with a thatch roof, up until a couple of years ago we lived in fully cement brick houses with a metal or tile roof.

In this 21st Century where Westernisation has almost permeated every corner of the globe to one degree or another, two factors influence the fact that we don't live in a mud hut.

1. Most locals don't live in mud huts anymore

- many see 'mud huts' as old fashioned and almost shameful.  Most don't understand the benefits of mud walls and thatch roofs for cooling in a hot desert climate.  They just want the prestige of 'modern', and something that doesn't burn down so easily, is easier to keep clean, doesn't need a roof to be replaced so often, and that is more secure.  Even in villages, locals want to upgrade their homes to cement brick walls and metal or tile roofs even if its just a tiny house.  And they want plumbing in their houses, flushing toilets, electricity and satellite TV.

Even out in the Kalahari desert, local folk want to 'upgrade' from a mud-hut to a plastered cement block house.

2. We are essentially missionaries in an urban context

- there has been a huge urban migration in Africa and Botswana is no exception.  More than half Botswana's population live in urban centres and 25% of the population live in the capital city greater area.

Urban context missions might sound quite cushy.  Going to 'darkest Africa to live in a mud hut' was maybe once the picture people had in their minds when they thought of the word 'missionary'.  Living in a 3 bedroom western style home or apartment maybe doesn't have the same 'traditional' idea of how a missionary lives.  

On my 21st birthday some friends gave me a set of pretty doilies for my dressing table with a note that they were so that wherever I ended up in the world I could have something pretty and feminine - even in a mud-hut.  I appreciated their thoughtfulness but they have never been used in mud-hut.

There certainly is a mind-set that has a strong connection between missionaries and rural village contexts, but as the world changes, so does missions.  Whether a person lives in a mud hut and ploughs a field during the day or lives in an inner-city apartment and works in an office all day doesn't determine whether or not they are eligible to hear the gospel or not.

Living in an urban cross-cultural context, doesn't however automatically remove cross-cultural stress or the challenges of living in a 'developing' country.  

Some things to keep in mind:

• Urbanisation also doesn't eliminate traditional beliefs, practices and religion across the country.  Witchdoctors still exist, family honour is still strong and traditional practices and rituals continue as much as possible and cultural taboos are still avoided in most situations.  
• Many locals who live in the urban areas are also only there because of work and don't see the city as 'home' - everyone has a 'home village'.  If you want to really get to know someone, you don't ask where they live...in fact that's a question that will only elicit a confused look.  The two questions to ask are: Where do you stay? and What is your home village?
• There are of course definite influences of urbanisation and effects of exposure to the world outside of the village (through travel and media and education), which mean that some people hang onto traditional ways less strongly than others.  

But with the West pushing the idea of 'don't lose culture' and the local traditions having deep societal roots, under the appearance of westernisation there is still a great deal of tradition. It's just not as obvious.

And that doesn't make it easier - in some ways it makes it harder.  

We can be lulled into a false view of the culture and miss underlying motives and values. 

So what is it like as a 21st Century missionary, particularly in an urban setting, and what should prayer-partners pray for?

In some up-coming blogs I hope to answer such questions.  But for now remember just two things:

1. Missionaries are still normal people with normal joys and normal struggles.

2. Missionaries still do face some unique challenges

And in both areas we value your prayers and support whether we live in a mud hut or not!