Two Stops Past Siberia

High Adventure in Tibet, David V. Plymire
Anyone lucky enough to find this little book, printed by Trinity Print’N Press, Ellendale ND, should consider themselves fortunate. High Adventure in Tibet does not at first come off as appealing to the thoughtful reader, with its purple cover and orange, comic book letters. Moreover, the story itself, would, on the face of it, make most modern travelers cringe: it is a true account of a missionary. However, with the novelty of a Christian missionary in Tibet aside, the protagonist of High Adventure goes there in 1908.

The book itself is written by the missionary Victor Plymire’s son, David Plymire, drawing on his father’s journals and letters for inspiration. In the introduction to the book, he thanks God for helping him write it, noting it would not have happened otherwise, and further apologizes to the reader for his poor writing skills. The entire book is written in this same way, with utter, early 1900’s missionary zeal.

The Victor Plymire, the missionary, is consistently referred to as such, or as God’s humble servant, and the like. His expressed goal is to bring the good news of God’s salvation and Jesus’s sacrifice to the dark corners of Tibet. The story never breaks character. At every “dark valley,” Victor calls on his Lord for strength and guidance. Every time another Tibetan leader opens up an new area of the country to him, he thanks God for letting him tell more people of His great sacrifice. By the end of the book, his utter sincerity overwhelms the reader. He works in rural Tibet for over 40 years, leaving for home only when his physical health demands it. And then, he doesn’t rest, but makes the church rounds, drumming up support for his mission.

Alongside proselytizing, his other experiences are literally second to none. He watches the last Chinese dynasty fall. He sees the rise of their nationalist government, and is eventually forced out by the takeover by the “godless” communists. He travels the length of the country in caravans of yaks, carrying nothing but food and tens of thousands of gospels, which he has translated and printed in Tibetan himself. He has to fend off hordes of bandits, both Tibetan and “Kazack.” He gets a personal letter from the Dalai Lama granting him passage through the country. He visits countless monasteries, describing their interiors as will never be seen again.

On top of all of this, he carries a camera, and the book is full of photos. We are privileged pictures of Tibet before the communist takeover. He gives shots of monks, monasteries and local nomads on the wide plateau. He shows himself in local dress, and even Lhasa, the holy city itself.

In the end, the book provides a sincere account of Tibet as witnessed by this missionary from the turn to the middle of last century. Setting his digs at their “devil worship” aside, he gets raw Tibet as few ever saw. Furthermore, the protagonist does display a deep love for the people. By the end of the book, recognizing he spent more of his life in Tibet than outside of it, speaks of it like it is his home, and the Tibetans as if they are his people. When this missionary is finally forced to leave the country, against all odds, it brings a tear to the eye.

Highly recommended