When Sorrows Come

By Francis O. Patterson
April 27 or 28, 2012

I learned of the home-going of Brother Bobby Lookabill as I was working on getting this bulletin ready for Sunday. My mind soon thereafter went back to others in our church that have had loved ones go home to be with the Lord in recent months and years. As I was thinking about these things, I was reminded that through the death of a loved one and friend God is able to teach us things that He could not teach us otherwise and in other circumstances. So, I encourage you to wait on the Lord and allow Him to show you some things, even though at the moment it might be difficult for you. For instance:

God wants you to know that He still loves you:

• We sometimes wonder how can God love us and allow the things to come into our lives that he does.

1. The Bible responds by telling us that it is God’s very nature to be loving:

• God is love (1 John 4:8)
• His love for us doesn’t change though the circumstances may.

2. The problem isn’t that God doesn’t love us but that our perspective is limited:

• God is infinite, we are finite.
• God sees the whole, we see only the part.
• God’s ways aren’t our ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
• God in His wisdom allows sorrow to come into our lives and we must remember that His plan is best.

3. It is to this loving God that we can turn and know that He judges rightly and correctly:

• Gen. 18:25 asks, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The Bible answers that God the Creator “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1:11).
• We can turn to God at this time and know he is fair, just, impartial and loving. (Ps. 98:9)

4. Yes, in this time of sorrow it may seem as if God’s love is not to be found:

• But His word reminds us that He does love you.
• But more than this He sympathizes with you. Heb. 2:17 says, “Wherefore in all things it behooved him (Christ) to be made like unto His brethren, that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest…”
• The Lord Jesus came to earth from heaven to become a man.
• He knows what it means to sorrow, to grieve.
• He sympathizes with you in your grief.

So, when sorrow comes, God wants you to know He still loves you.

• He is loving.
• He is just, and fair in judgment.
• He is sympathetic in our sorrow.

FOP

Note: Transcribed by Wes Patterson, son of FOP. Bobby J. Lookabill passed away on Friday, April 27, 2012, and was a member of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Welcome, NC. This article was previously published in the Bulletin of Lighthouse Baptist Church on April 29, 2012, of which Frank Patterson was the editor. Frank Patterson, in turn, went home to be with the Lord on July 31, 2015. His own words were truly a comfort to us, his family. CWP

 

Frank Patterson: From North Georgia to Southeast Asia

My dad passed away on July 31, 2015. He was 75 years old and had experienced increased health issues in recent months and years. But as recent as August of 2008, Frank Patterson was still traveling overseas to teach the Bible to Christians who would in turn go and continue to teach their own.

Dad was born on June 25, 1940, in a small community called Ivy Log, in north Georgia. Ivy Log is a few miles north of Blairsville, the county seat of Union County. In fact, the small cabin where dad was born, was later removed with all surrounding homes during the clearing of that section of Union County for the building of Nottely Dam. The location of dad's birthplace is now under water, under Nottely Lake.

Dad's family was a poor farming family, as were many from this section of north Georgia. So how does a young boy from a community like this, end up traveling to so many countries in his lifetime? Frank had a passion for teaching the Bible to men and women who wanted to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. This passion led him to take at least 26 trips overseas from 1973 to 2008.

The following details were gleaned primarily from dad's passports, as well as other anecdotal information known by this author and other family members.

#1) Israel - 1973 (2 weeks?)

- Frank traveled with a team from Piedmont Bible College to Israel for a couple weeks.

NOTE: Attempts were made to reach out to staff members from Piedmont in order to verify the specific details of that trip - but with no success.

#2) Brazil - 1975 (7 weeks)

- Frank and Vanza (his wife and my mother) arrived in Brazil on July 11, 1975.

- Frank and Vanza arrived back in the U.S. on Aug. 28, 1975.

#3) Bangladesh - 1979 (3 weeks)

- Frank and three other men from Baptist Mid-Missions (BMM) arrived in Delhi, India on March 31, 1979; departed Delhi same day, arrived same day in Calcutta, India; departed same day, arrived same day in Dacca, Bangladesh.

- Frank departed Dacca on April 17, 1979; arrived same day in Delhia, India; departed Delhi on April 18, 1979, arrived at JFK in New York, New York, USA on same day.

#4) Bangladesh - 1979 (19 months)

- Frank, Vanza, Chip and Wes (me) departed New York on July 2, 1979, arrived in Delhi, India on July 3, 1979; departed Delhi on July 4, arrived in Calcutta, India same day; departed Calcutta same day, arrived same day in Dacca, Bangladesh.

- Frank and family departed Dacca on Feb. 10, 1981; arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Feb. 11, 1981; departed Bangkok on Feb. 12, arrived same day in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; departed Honolulu on or about Feb. 15, arrived in Atlantla, Ga same day.

#5) Bangladesh - 1981 (20 months)

- Frank, Vanza and Wes departed San Francisco on or about October 10, 1981, arrived in Singapore on Oct. 12; departed Singapore on Oct. 14, arrived same day in Bangkok, Thailand; departed on Oct. 16, arrived same day in Dacca, Bangladesh.

- Frank and Vanza took a 3 day trip to Calcutta, India from Feb. 19, 1982 through Feb. 22.

- Frank and family departed Dacca on June 3, 1983; arrived in London, England on June 4; departed London same day and arrived at JFK airport in New York City on June 5, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#6) Bangladesh - 1983 (8 months)

- Frank departed the U.S. on Aug. 15, 1983 and arrived same day in London, England (Vanza and Wes had already returned to Bangladesh two weeks prior on the previously scheduled round trip tickets); Frank departed London the same day, arrived in Dacca, Bangladesh on Aug. 16.

- Frank took a short trip to Hong Kong and back to Bangladesh. He departed Dacca on Oct. 9, 1983, arrived in Bangkok, Thailand same day; departed Bangkok on Oct. 11, arrived in Hong Kong same day; departed Hong Kong on Oct. 14, arrived in Bangkok same day; departed Bangkok on Oct. 16, arrived in Dacca, Bangladesh same day.

- Frank took a short trip to Bangkok, Thailand; departed Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 30, 1984, arrived in Bangkok same day; departed Bangkok on April 3, arrived in Dhaka same day.

- Frank and family departed Dhaka, Bangladesh on April 27, 1984, arrived at JFK airport in New York City on April 28, 1984, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC. (Note: No other airports are stamped in dad's visa for this trip, but I (Wes) remember that we traveled through Amsterdam, Holland on this particular trip home.)

#7) Bangladesh - 1984 (1 week)

- Frank arrived in London, England on June 28, 1984, departed same day, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on June 29.

- Frank departed Dhaka, Bangladesh on or about July 2, 1984; arrival location and date not discernible, but was most likely one or two days later.

#8) Bangladesh - 1985 (2 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Feb. 17, 1985; departed Bangkok on Feb. 19, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on same day.

- Frank departed Dhaka on Feb. 24, 1985, arrived in Bangkok on same day; departed Bangkok on Feb. 26; arrival location and date not discernible, but was most likely one or two days later.

#9) Bangladesh - 1985 (2 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on June 20, 1985; departed Bangkok on June 21, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on same day.

- Frank departed Dhaka on July 5, 1985, arrived in Bangkok on same day; departed Bangkok on July 7; arrived in Dallas, Tx on July 7, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#10) Bangladesh - 1986 (2 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Apr. 10, 1986; departed Bangkok on Apr. 11, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on same day.

- Frank departed Dhaka on Apr. 22, 1986, arrived in Bangkok on same day; departed Bangkok on Apr. 23; arrival location and date not discernible, but was most likely one or two days later.

#11) Bangladesh - 1986 (5 months)

- Frank, Vanza and Wes departed San Francisco on or about Sept. 22, 1986, arrived in Hong Kong on Sept. 23; departed Hong Kong on Sept. 29, arrived same day in Bangkok, Thailand; departed on Oct. 3, arrived same day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

- Frank and family departed Dhaka on Feb. 27, 1987; arrived same day in Bangkok, Thailand; departed Bangkok on March 1, and arrived in Dallas, Tx on March 1, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#12) Bangladesh - 1987 (1 week)

- Frank arrived in Hong Kong on Dec. 5, 1987; departed Hong Kong on Dec. 7, arrived in Singapore same day; departed Singapore on Dec. 8, arrived same day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

- Frank departed Dhaka on Dec. 15, 1987; arrived same day in Singapore; departed Singapore on Dec. 16, and arrived same day in Honolulu, Hawaii, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#13) Bangladesh - 1989 (6 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Singapore on Sept 24, 1989; departed Singapore on Sept 26, arrived same day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

- Frank departed Dhaka on Nov 7, 1989; arrived same day in Singapore; departed Singapore on Nov 8; arrival location and date not discernible, but was most likely one or two days later.

#14) Bangladesh - 1990 (4 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan 25, 1990; departed Bangkok on Jan 26, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on same day.

- Frank departed Dhaka on Feb 25, 1990, arrived in Bangkok on same day; departed Bangkok on Feb 27, and arrived in Seattle, WA same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#15) Bangladesh - 1990 (6 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Apr 10, 1990; departed Bangkok on Apr 12, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on same day.

- Frank departed Dhaka on May 22, 1990, arrived in Bangkok on same day; departed Bangkok on May 23, and arrived in Seattle, WA same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#16) Bangladesh - 1990 (13 months)

- Frank left Winston-Salem, NC on Aug 26, 1990 at the last possible time as his grandson (Wes Patterson Jr) was due to be born any time; Vanza joined Frank in Bangladesh about 1 month later; Frank arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug 28, 1990 (the day his grandson was born); Frank departed Bangkok on Aug 31, arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on same day.

- Frank and Vanza departed Dhaka on Oct 5, 1991; the route they took is not totally clear, I just know they arrived in Chicago, IL on Oct 6, 1991, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#17) Bangladesh - 1991 (3 months)

- Frank and Vanza arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on Nov 27, 1991; departed Bangkok on Nov 28, arrived same day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

- Frank and Vanza departed Dhaka on Feb 13, 1992, arrived in Bangkok on same day; departed Bangkok on Feb 14, and arrived in Los Angeles, CA same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#18) Ukraine - 1999 (5+ months)

- Frank arrived at Gatwick in London, England on Sept 20, 1999; departed London same day, and arrived in Ukraine on same day.

- Frank departed Ukraine on March 3, 2000, arrived at Gatwick in London, England on same day, departed London same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC; arrival details in U.S. are not clear.

#19) Colombia - 2001 (1 week)

- Frank and Vanza arrived in Bogota, Colombia on Aug 17, 2001.

- Frank and Vanza departed Bogota on Aug 25, 2001, and arrived in Atlanta, GA same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#20) Myanmar (Burma) - 2003 (2 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Paris, France on July 11, 2003; departed Paris on July 19, arrived in Malaysia same day; departed Malaysia on July 21, and arrived in Myanmar on same day.

- Frank departed Myanmar on Aug 4, 2003, arrived in New York on Aug 5, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#21) Ukraine - 2003 (3 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Ukraine on Oct 3, 2003; specific route taken is not documented in his passport.

- Frank departed Ukraine on Oct 24, 2003, arrived in Atlanta, GA on Nov 8, 2003, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC; specific details about Oct 24 to Nov 8 are not clear from passport.

#22) Myanmar (Burma) - 2004 (2 weeks)

- Frank arrived in Malaysia on Jan 31, 2004; departed Malaysia on Feb 2, and arrived in Myanmar on same day.

- Frank departed Myanmar on Feb 13, 2004, arrived in Malaysia same day; departed Malaysia on Feb 14, arrived in New York on Feb 15, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#23) India - 2006 (3+ months)

- Frank arrived at Gatwick in London, England on Jan 1, 2006; departed London on Jan 4, and arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta), India on same day. His ultimate destination was the Bible college in Silchar, Assam, India.

- Frank departed Kolkata (Calcutta), India on Apr 14, 2006, arrived at Heathrow in London, England on same day; remainder of itinerary is unclear but presumably arrived in Winston-Salem, NC a few days later.

#24) India - 2007 (4 months)

- Frank arrived in Frankfurt, Germany on Dec 29, 2006; departed Frankfurt on Jan 1, 2007, and arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta), India on Jan 2; departed Kolkata same day, arrived in Silchar, India same day.

- Frank departed Silchar, India on Apr 18, 2007, arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta), India same day; departed Kolkata on Apr 19, arrived in Frankfurt, Germany same day; departed Frankfurt Apr 20, arrived in Munich, Germany same day; departed Munich same day, arrived in Charlotte, NC same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#25) India - 2008 (3+ months)

- Frank arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta), India on Jan 1, 2008; departed Kolkata on Jan 14, arrived in Silchar, India same day. Rest of travel details not specified in passport.

- Frank took a few days trip with Indian men from Silchar, India to Mizoram, India on Feb 12. Length of trip unclear, but if my memory serves me correctly, it was about a week or so. I don't believe the return trip to Silchar was by plane.

- Frank departed Silchar, India on or before Apr 6, 2008, arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta), India same day; departed Kolkata on Apr 6, 2008; precise details of return trip not documented on passport, but appears to have arrived in the U.S. on or around Apr 7, 2008, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

#26) Iraq - 2008 (18 days)

- Frank departed NC on Aug 4, 2008, arrived at Wien-Schwechat in Vienna, Austria on Aug 5, 2008; departed Vienna same day, and arrived in Iraq same day (Aug 5, 2008); his ultimate destination was in Irbil (Erbil), Iraq..

- Frank departed Iraq on Aug 22, 2008, arrived in Vienna, Austria same day; departed Vienna on Aug 23, arrived in Washington, DC same day, and continued on to Winston-Salem, NC.

Letter at Frank's Funeral by Wes

Dad,

I want to thank you for being the example for me that you were. You were a loving husband, a wonderful father, a proud grandfather, and a devoted servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Friday morning it was clear that you were soon to leave us for that long-anticipated journey called “eternity with God”. You challenged me that morning, and not only me, but also Chip, and then my son, Wes Jr. You knew you were dying, and you were ready to go. You called all the shots that day – your last day. You made all the decisions, and you departed this life with dignity, love, and devotion.

Friday was 40 days since you had last been at home. You had entered the hospital on Father’s Day, June 21st. That was also the Lord’s Day. It was also your brother Kenneth’s birthday. 40 days… you fought, you struggled, you led, you followed, you cried, you laughed… you lived and loved throughout those final 40 days. You made sure that Chip and I would take care of mom. You told us you were proud of us. You told us how much you thanked God for your daughters-in-law, Jully and Ginna. You told us how much you loved your grandchildren, Morgan, Wes Jr, and Kaity.

During those final weeks you constantly told us, and anyone who would listen, that you wanted to honor the Lord Jesus Christ no matter what happened. Dad, you did just that. You finished strong. Just as Caleb was described no less than six times in the Old Testament as one who “wholly followed the Lord”, you too wholly followed the Lord to your final breath. As Caleb claimed the promises of God at age 85, promises that the Lord had given him 45 years prior, you too claimed the promises of God to the end of your life. You desired to finish strong, and with the Lord’s strength, you did just that.

Mark chapter 4 recounts the story where the Lord Jesus went with the disciples in the boat to other side of the lake. That story reminds us during the sudden storms of life when all hope is gone, that is when God’s glory is on display. During those 40 days, day 19 was the day in which all hope was lost. There was nothing that man could do. You were not expected to live more than 3 or 4 days, perhaps a week or so beyond then. And yet somehow, you wound up going to a rehab center after 33 days at the hospital. The last two weeks we had with you was a miraculous gift from God. It was far greater than any best-case scenario we were given on July 10. And yet, we had 21 more days with you.

It was a gift from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From the God of Daniel. And the God of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abed-nego. The God of Moses, and Adam, and Paul. The God of Joshua and Caleb. The God of Frank Patterson. The God of Wes Patterson.

I told you Friday morning that you were just like Caleb. And I thanked you for being that kind of father to me, that kind of grandfather to my son, that kind of husband to my mother, that kind of servant to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You never wanted to be in the light. You wanted to point others to the light, the one true light – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that light, and you reflected that light of God on everyone around you. Thank you for honoring our Saviour in this way. Thank you for teaching me to look to the Lord and not to man. Man will fail us, and we will fail our fellow man. But Christ will never fail us nor forsake us.

You lived what you preached. You taught me that words never matter unless your life backs them up. You lived your faith. You claimed the promises of God throughout your life. You have taught so many brothers and sisters in the Lord to study the Scriptures and to follow Christ and to step up and do the same to others. You lived the Paul and Timothy principle – to teach others how to go and train others to teach. It was never about you, but always about the Lord Jesus Christ.

40 years ago you and mom made your first trip to a foreign country in service to the Lord. Seven weeks in Brazil, summer of 1975. The subsequent impact you have had on students of the Word reaches so far that we can’t even begin to fathom. Of course, it was never your ability. It was your availability. You were available to be used by the Lord. Brazil, Bangladesh (for 14 years) , Colombia, at least two trips to Myanmar (formerly Burma), at least two trips to Ukraine, three times to India, and the last trip was to northern Iraq in 2008 during a war, at age 67. And we cannot forget the North Carolina communities of Winston-Salem, King, and Lexington.

You have these verses bookmarked and underlined in your Bible. Job 19:25-27 says, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Dad, your yearning has been transformed to reality! And I could not be any happier for you than I am at this time. Yes, I miss you greatly. But I know that I will see you again one day. And as you taught me throughout my entire life, I know the first one I shall see in that coming day will be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Everything in Scripture points to Christ. Thank you, Dad, for living your life with the same objective. I am so thrilled for you, Dad. I’ll see you soon!!!

With all my love,

Your son Wes

(August 3, 2015 at Salem Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, NC, read by Nat Thompson)

Letter at Frank's Funeral by Chip

The greatest lesson my father ever showed me was that of team work. His partner and the love of his life, my mother, was a testament to how God established the family and the importance it was to be given. Their true love and commitment to one another stayed the test of time and circumstance, as they lived out their lives together. He and mom lived a dedicated life to God first and then to one another that was so seamless that we never remember when they weren't together or in agreement on anything. Quitting was not in their vocabulary and commitment to remain faithful to their God and one another was their consistent standard. For that testimony of the team mom and dad made I will be forever grateful.

In light of this team work according to godly standards, the lessons dad always felt important to teach us throughout our lives and through his personal example and investment of time is that, 

• "Real growth is often experienced through great personal trial and sacrifice."
• "Nothing in life that is worth having will come easy, so don't expect it to."
• "Ultimately, if you commit to a task work as hard as you can to complete it as unto the Lord for He will judge the results of your effort and the motivation of your heart in the end regardless of how things turned out."
• "God will always be with us, if we are actively abiding in Him."

These practical life lessons and the appropriate use of scripture to back them up was how we learned to live life to its fullest. Dad would say, "Life has difficult moments, but in all reality living life is simple...just do right. If you don't know what right is...ask for help, but keep yourself out of the way and let God do what He deems necessary in your life." A favorite passage that he would often share was found in 2 Timothy 2:15 which says,

• “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Dad would remind us that it is God's truth that lights our way, sets us free from our chains and shows us how to live and for Whom to live. All we have to do is accept God's offer. However, we will never truly appreciate nor understand what that truth means without study, so study, study and study some more. It is through the diligent focus of God's word in our lives that we understand what He expects of us and tells us what we can expect from Him. It is only in this manner that our lives are approved for His service.

Ultimately though God's glory was what dad sought for most in everything he put his hand to do. When talking with dad many times his life simply mirrored 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says,

• "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

With this mindset as his focus everything else fell into place, no matter what it was. This unfailing standard was what drove dad to go and do all that he did during his life.

While in the hospital and shortly before he had the tube inserted into his throat he said to mom and I one day that he believed God had brought him there because this was now his mission field. He was just as clear on his purpose then as he was until he was promoted home. We often witnessed how during his hospital stay in the first 33 days dad spoke to every doctor, nurse, counselor, case worker and housekeeper who came by or into his room and he always asked them of their spiritual condition. Then he would share what God had done for him during his life. As a result we estimate that he had spoken to at least 100 people during his month stay and 10 of those days he couldn't talk at all.

So clear was his focus and love for the Lord and His call that he couldn't keep quiet. What a joy and privilege it is to call Frank Patterson my father and my hero!

(August 3, 2015 at Salem Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, NC, read by Nat Thompson)

Frank Patterson: Obituary

Vanza and Frank Patterson

Francis Oliver “Frank” Patterson, Sr. passed into the waiting arms of His Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on July 31, 2015. Frank was born June 25, 1940, in Blairsville, Union County, Georgia, the fourth child of Wilma Lee Stephens and Clinton Willie Patterson. Raised on a farm in the north Georgia mountains, Frank moved with his family at age 10 to High Point, NC. He was a graduate of High Point Central High School, Class of ’59. At age 16, Frank recognized his need to place his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his one and only means of salvation. The desire to please his Saviour would become the major driving force in his life. He joined the US Air Force in April, 1960, and was discharged in January, 1964 having served in Brunswick, Maine and then later Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. He met the love of his life in 1961 when visiting his father in the hospital in High Point, NC. Vanza Davis was his father’s nurse, but a year later would become his bride, on June 1^st, 1962. Frank and Vanza were married in Trinity, NC, around the time of his transfer to Seymour Johnson AFB. They had two sons, the eldest being Francis O. Patterson Jr (Chip) was born on May 27, 1963 in Goldsboro, NC. The younger was Charles Wesley Patterson (Wes), born February 5, 1968 in Decatur, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. Frank’s early career endeavors involved insurance sales, and furniture sales. However, in 1971, Frank and Vanza moved the family from Tucker, Ga to Winston-Salem, NC for him to attend Piedmont Bible College. Their hearts’ desire was to serve the Lord in any capacity, and eventually this led them to become missionaries on foreign fields. Frank spent a few weeks in Israel during the early ‘70’s with a team from Piedmont Bible College. In the summer of 1975, he and Vanza spent seven weeks in Brazil, believing that was where the Lord was leading them to serve full time. Frank graduated from Piedmont in 1976, and the family moved back to Decatur, Ga. In 1979, the family moved to the southeast Asian country of Bangladesh, arriving there on the 4^th of July. He was involved predominantly in the government liaison work in those early years, but was also very involved in teaching and discipling young believers. By the mid ‘80’s he oversaw the planning, development and opening of a hospital in the northwestern part of the country near the town of Natore, Bangladesh. That hospital continues to thrive to this day. Frank and Vanza retired from service there in 1993, but continued working in local churches and colleges as the Lord opened doors. Occasionally, Frank made trips for months at a time to foreign countries to teach in Bible colleges, as his heart’s desire was to train young believers to study the Bible and continue the work in their own lands among their own people, as he believed the work was always greater than himself, and should be able to continue without him. Countries that Frank invested himself personally into the lives of men and women for that very purpose, include Myanmar (formerly Burma), Ukraine, India, Iraq (in 2008), and Colombia. The first three of those included multiple stints of service, all of which were three to four months at a time. Frank loved to teach, and he loved to learn, and he did both to his dying days. He received two masters degrees, and his doctorate (DMin) from Liberty University, the latter of which occurred in 2005 at the age of 65. He also served as the Alumni Coordinator of Piedmont Bible College, as well as several years of teaching at Calvary Baptist Bible College & Seminary in King, NC. He developed curricula for many purposes, most of which involved courses for use in churches and colleges. For many years he served the elderly saints in the several churches in which he and Vanza attended. Frank loved his family more than life. He always made over his grandchildren especially. Frank is survived by his bride and the love of his life Vanza, two sons Francis Oliver Patterson, Jr. “Chip” and wife Jully, Lynchburg, Va., and Charles Wesley Patterson, Sr. “Wes” and wife Ginna, Winston-Salem, NC; three grandchildren, Morgan Muszall and husband Shane, Wes Patterson Jr., and Kaity McCormick and husband Jayme; one sister Jean Kilstrom, Grayson, Ga.; one brother Derral Patterson and wife Frankie, Loganville, Ga.; one special nephew George Lee Davis Jr., Lexington, NC, and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two brothers, Baxley and Kenneth. The funeral will be held at Salem Baptist Church, 429 South Broad Street, Winston-Salem, NC, on Monday, August 3^rd at 2:00 PM, with visitation prior to the service from noon to 2:00. Burial will be at Forsyth Memorial Park following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, 101 Hospice Ln, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.

Frank Patterson - My Father, My Legacy

Francis O. "Frank" Patterson
1940 - 2015

My dad was a wonderful man. We lost him a few weeks ago on July 31st (2015). He was 75 years old. But there was so much more to the man than cold hard facts. It will be my endeavor to share many stories about my father over the next days and weeks. This page will, perhaps, be the jumping off point for additional posts regarding his life, his legacy, his passions, his struggles, and his final days on this earth. But if you knew my father, and his relationship with a living God - the Lord Jesus Christ - you will concur that the story does not end with his death. It really only began. Eternity is a very long time, and he has entered into that next stage of life - eternal life, in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Frank was born Francis Oliver Patterson, on June 25, 1940 in a small farm community called Ivy Log. This was a few miles north of Blairsville, Georgia, in Union County. He was married to Vanza Davis on June 1, 1962, in Trinity, NC. Dad went into the hospital on Father's Day this year, June 21, 2015. After 40 days, he was transferred to Hospice Home in Winston-Salem, NC (Forsyth Co.), on Friday, July 31. Six hours later, with the entire family by his side, he breathed his last breath on this earth, and entered into the waiting arms of his Saviour.

In subsequent posts I plan to share many interesting details about dad, including pictures, his passions, and his travels to foreign countries (26 major trips from 1973 to 2008) to teach the Bible to men and women who in turn would go forth and share the Gospel to their own people.

I also plan to post copies of his obituary from the Winston-Salem Journal, as well as the letters that my brother and I wrote to be read at his funeral on August 3, 2015. These were our parting tributes to our father, and were written in such a way as to honor him in the best possible way we could imagine, which was to honor the Lord Jesus Christ, primarily. Dad finished his life strong for the Lord. That's what mattered the most to him.

I love you, Dad. I miss you. But I know I'll see you soon.

Wes

Related Links:

Frank Patterson's Foreign Travels: 26 Known Trips from 1973 to 2008 (posted 6-26-2017)

When Sorrows Come: by Francis O. Patterson in 2012 (posted 6-26-2017)

Frank Patterson's Obituary in the Winston-Salem Journal (posted 9-15-2015)

Letter at Frank's Funeral, by Chip (posted 9-15-2015)

Letter at Frank's Funeral, by Wes (posted 9-15-2015)