Pioneering Spirit

Mvumi Hospital near Dodoma, capital of Tanzania, is one of Africa's best-known mission hospitals. One reason is the popular Jungle Doctor books by Dr Paul White who worked there with CMS Australia. These tales were required reading for Sunday school scholars a generation or so back. Now we have the opportunity to find out part of about the story behind Mvumi thanks to a well researched book by former mission partner Elizabeth McKelvey who with her husband and family served at Mvumi from 1993-9. The book is based on research material from both the CMS and CMS Australia archives.

Shelter and Welcome: the story of John Briggs and Mvumi to 1938, offers lot of insights into mission work at the turn of the last century and traces the story of Briggs, an ordinary CMS missionary started an extraordinary work. The underlying spectre of suffering and deprivation is powerful.

Here’s a short extract from the journal of Briggs’ boss, Bishop Peel:

Hyenas appear to thrive in Mvumi and Ibwiljili judging from their nocturnal practices. It was in Mvumi district that my port is once trying to protect their little stores of dried meat by sleeping on them. The hyenas waited until sleep was well-established and then extracted the morsels! The study of the habits of bugs of all sorts is forced upon you … after a good shower of rain. To have on the Hill in the evening by lamplight is hopeless in attempt, and disastrous in result, and as she placed a large basin containing water in the middle of the table I put a lamp into it. Even with all the ingenious contrivance you may be able to come mind, you eating may prove uncomfortably in emetic. One evening, when we were all on the alert, and saving our viands by spooning our afflictors into the basin, one black creature swooped into my tea. Mrs. Doulton at once to relieve me of the cup, threw away the key, poured in hot water, and then give me another cupful. I direct to mouthfuls and hurried off to my bedroom, and had to remain there for some little time, not enjoying the emetic effects of the essence which had retained its strength so marvellously.

When Briggs went there the country was under German control whereas CMS worked mostly in British territories. There are interesting insights into the mission strategies of the times: the vital role of education through the agency of local people who trained as teachers and how healthcare was important in breaking the tyranny of the witchdoctors. Produced by Joan Rose Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9560-0-3

CMS still has mission partners (the Waltons and the Roots) based there today.