God moments galore By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ   Dave Smith speaks to Board members (left to right) Steve Quakenbush, Michele Annibal, Gary Fallesen, Kevin Kimble, Mary Lindsay and Stan Phillips, and staff member Jordan Rowley. (Photo by staff member Elaine Fallesen) I asked our Board of Directors to come to our 13th Annual Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 29 in Rochester, NY, with their favorite “God moment” from 2016. We spent time reflecting on what the LORD had done through Climbing For Christ on what turned out to be another day full o...
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Michele Annibal on Mount Washington, NH, USA, which she summited in 70-plus mph winds and minus-50 windchill. Nationality: American. Occupation: Health care industry consultant. Missions with C4C: Malawi 2014 and 2016. How long have you climbed? Since 2010. Type of climbing you do: Trekking, backpacking, learning ice climbing. Highlight of climbing career: Summiting Kilimanjaro (highest I’ve done) and Mount Washington (summited in the worst weather I’ve experienced!). How long have you been a Christian? Since 1993. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: Children’s ...
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Secretary Residence: Greece, NY. Personal: Married to Diane, two grown children. Occupation: Electrical engineer. How long have you climbed? 32 years. Type of climbing you do: Corporate (Kidding! Just kidding!!). Highlight of climbing career:  N/A. How long have you been a Christian? I was blessed to be born into a family that loves Jesus. Some of my earliest memories are church related. When I was 6, my Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Oxenford, used a popcorn popper to illustrate how the Holy Spirit takes a hard heart and makes it white as snow. She invited us to let Jesus “po...
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2013 Board of Director (left to right): Gary Fallesen, Derek Fullerton, Ace Concordia on laptop (Skyping from the Philippines), Mary Lindsay, Stan Phillips, Elaine Fallesen and Kevin Kimble. The Board of Directors of Climbing For Christ met Monday, Oct. 14 in Rochester, NY for HIS ministry's ninth Annual Meeting. This divinely orchestrated gathering celebrated the past year and planned for the next year, including work in 13 nations. Founding president Gary Fallesen welcomed the board and staff, sharing how Joshua 1:9 has been a theme verse for the year.  “… ...
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President Residence: Hilton, N.Y. (on America's North Coast — 75 feet above sea level). Personal: I am married and we have two children — a son, Jesse, and a daughter, Hayley Hope. Occupation: Fisher of men. Previously, I was a sports writer at the daily newspaper in Rochester, N.Y. I'd been a sports writer since I was 7. But God reassigned my life's work. How long have you climbed? I took up mountaineering when I went climbing with three experienced mountaineers on Rainier in 1996. Suffered altitude sickness — and loved it. Eighteen months later, I wa...
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Former Vice president (2004-2014), current staff member Residence: Hilton, N.Y. Personal: One handsome husband and two beautiful kids. Occupation: Marketing Communications for a health insurance company. How long have you climbed? I've hiked for more than 10 years. Type of climbing you do: Family hiking. Highlight of climbing career: Climbing Fairview Mountain in the Canadian Rockies. Hiking around the Eiger in extreme weather runs a close second — another cliff-hanger trek (for me, anyway). How long have you been a Christian? Always. Typ...
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Secretary (2004-2014), vice president (2014-today) Residence: Rochester, N.Y. Personal: Married. Occupation: Human Resources Executive. How long have you been a Christian? 56 years. How long have you climbed? “I don’t climb (bad hip), but I chose to be part of this ministry because I’m able to participate by using my spiritual gifts by being a prayer partner/warrior, an administrator (I’m an HR and Payroll Manager by profession), as a C4C board member and as a Western New York Chapter member, and I can financially support the missions of ...
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At-large member Residence: Spencerport, N.Y. Personal: Married, one son 36 years old. Occupation: Co-owner of a printing company in Rochester for 28 years. How long have you climbed? Not a climber (yet). How long have you been a Christian? 35 years. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: My wife Kathy and I both serve/volunteer as needed in various capacities at the present time at Hope Church. Favorite Scripture verse (and why): Psalm 62:1-2. “He alone is ...
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At-large member Residence: Spencerport, N.Y. Personal: I have been married for 39 years to my childhood sweetheart and best friend, Laurie. We both grew up in Buffalo, N.Y. region, meeting each other during the summer of seventh grade. I thought the loved her the very first time I saw her, and that love continue to grow deeper still today. God has blessed us with three children: Katie, nearing her mid-30s, is licensed and works in the Brighton school system as an occupational therapist. She is also a missionary to many places in the world. Holly, in her earlier 30s, is a wife a...
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