About 2 months ago I received a special email from a very special person. In the mid and late 1940’s, 2 young men from Scotland left their homes and families behind and set off for Tibet. Their names were Geoffrey Bull and George Patterson. After being on a ship for several months from Scotland, they arrived on the east coast of China. From there, they set off for the Tibetan border, which took another several months to reach. They eventually reached Dartsendo, where our family lives (when it is open!).Unlike Yushu and other regions of Tibet, Dartsendo did have a small missionary community prior to the Communist takeover of Tibet. It was one of only a handful of border towns that had Christian missions established. For several years, Geoffrey and George treated the sick and dying, preached the Gospel and loved the Tibetan people that came their way. Both Geoffrey and George wrote several books about their adventures in Tibet. Their books are my favorite to read and give me a lot of encouragement. Geoffrey and George were highly adventurous, tough and most importantly, were extremely godly men.
George cutting the toes off a Tibetan man suffering from severe frostbite and gangrene
On the eve of the arrival of the Communists, George went on a personal mission for the Tibetan government. He rode his horse for over 2 months across stretches of Tibet that no foreigner had ever been to before. This was completely unchartered and unmapped territory over the Himalaya’s and into northeastern India. He went, on behalf of all Tibetan people, to warn the outside world of the coming invasion of Tibet by the Chinese Communist army. Along with his good friend Lobsang Sherab, he rode his horse through the roughest terrain that Tibet has to offer. He arrived, thoroughly exhausted, and met with leaders from the US, UK and India to warn them of the coming invasion. Did I forget to mention that he did this in the middle of winter? George said that it got so cold that he “slept with the horses some of the time and even slept with a yak just to get the body heat because it was biting cold”. Unfortunately George’s pleas fell on deaf ears. Tibet had no diplomatic relations with any major countries and because Tibet had closed off its borders for nearly 200 years, no country offered to come to the aid of the Tibetans. George was still very influential and became a close friend of the Dalai Lama and his family. George even helped the Dalai Lama’s brother to be granted political asylum in the US. After his brief time in India, George attempted to return to Tibet, but an earthquake, illness and the monsoon season of India prevented him from returning.
Geoffrey Bull in the late 1940's with the children of a local Tibetan official
While George was on his journey across uncharted territory to India, his good friend Geoffrey Bull remained in Tibet. Most of the Christian workers left the region on word that the Communists were coming, but Geoffrey stayed and continued to preach the Gospel to the Tibetan people. In 1950, Geoffrey was arrested by the Communists and placed in prison on charges of espionage. He spent 3 years and 2 months in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. His first year he was kept in a cell which was so small, he could not even turn around. Geoffrey said that only his “faith in Christ kept him from mental breakdown”. Geoffrey Bull was released to British authorities in Hong Kong in 1953. He went on to minister in Borneo for many years before becoming a fairly well known Bible teacher in the UK. He died shortly after taking Communion in 1999 at the age of 78. Geoffrey Bull was an extraordinary man who, to me, was a Hero of the Faith.
George Patterson wearing Kham Tibetan clothing. The same style of clothes are worn today by many Tibetans.
I had heard that George Patterson was still alive from several people. I tried for about a year to get in contact with him, with no luck. Finally, around Christmas 2010 someone gave me his email address. I sent him an email introducing myself and telling a little about the work that Tamara and I have been involved with the past 8 years together. I also sent pictures of the Kham region…a region he has not seen for over 60 years. The next day George, at 90 years old, wrote back to me “thrilled to receive my email”. It was extremely encouraging to hear from a man I look to as a hero, an inspiration and as an example of a servant. I continue to send George our email updates and think about him, and Geoffrey Bull, often. This past week, George received a special honor from the Dalai Lama. The Light of Truth award is the most prestigious award given to those who have been involved with the Tibetan struggle. For more about this recent award, read through the following article: Light of Truth Award http://www.scotsman.com/news/Dalai-Lama-honours-Scots-hero.6737117.jp?articlepage=1
It was an honor to hear from my friend George. I will continue to send him our updates. For more about George and Geoffrey Bull’s adventures in Tibet, go to Amazon.com and purchase their books. You won’t be diappointed.
Blessings