Fred & Rachel Patton
Retired ABWE Missionaries to Peru
Fred was raised on a dairy farm near Binghamton, NY. As a teenager he gave his life to God but never had any thought of leaving his family and friends to go to the mission field. He began to share his new-found faith with family, friends and relatives. God’s plans made it possible for him to attend Bible School (Baptist bible Seminary) and graduate in 1956. Three more years of seminary seemed to be preparing Fred to be a Chaplain in the military but God had other plans.
At the beginning of his last year in Seminary he married Rachel, a girl he had met in Bible School. She came from a rural somewhat impoverished area in Ohio, never dreaming that she would eventually be a missionary in South America. Rachel did have one thing in common with Fred however. As a teen she accepted Christ as her Savior and dedicated her life to serving God wherever He would lead. God had big plans for this very special couple.
During their last year in Seminary as a married couple, they turned their attention to foreign missionary service. Following graduation they both worked at paying off loans by serving in a Christian Camp ministry and a Servicemen’s Victory Center in Washington, D.C. During this time they applied to ABWE and were accepted and appointed to be missionaries in the Upper Amazon area of Peru. As you might say at this point “the rest is history”.
During their deputation, their oldest son Andy was born. Over the next few years John, Tom and Ruthie would join their brother and the family grew up on the Amazon River in Peru. The Patton’s have 30 years worth of priceless and precious stories about life on the Amazon and they will have a reunion with countless Peruvians in heaven because the Patton family faithfully shared God’s love and the Gospel up and down the river from 1963-1993.
Since 1993 they have lived in Florida but have never stopped sharing the gospel. They are missionaries at heart wherever they are. Despite severe health problems that would put most of us out of commission for life, Fred & Rachel continue to serve Him. Using their Spanish, they have weekly Bible studies with Spanish speaking neighbors, Fred does a weekly ‘jail ministry” and they are active in their church (Grace Brethren in Okeechobee, FL). Despite their advancing age and numerous health problems often resulting in severe pain, they both still willingly serve God in the mission field where He has placed them now. When God calls them home to glory, they will hear the words “well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Missions 
