Elaine Fallesen
Elaine Fallesen, with Climbing For Christ missionary Miguel Rubén Guante, delivers a prayer shawl to a widow in Gentilhomme, Haiti.
Nationality: American. Occupation: Marketing associate for MVP Health Care. Missions with C4C: Haiti 2008 and 2009; Kilimanjaro 2011; Malawi 2014, and Nepal 2012.
How long have you climbed? Since the early ‘90s when our kids were small and we began discovering as a family the beautiful outdoors. Type of climbing you do: Climbing in His direction. Highlight of climbing career: As I’m vertically challenged, it’s a toss-up between almost summiting Mount Fairfield near Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies, and making the hike down the steep hillside of Gentilhomme, Haiti to the riverbed and back up again!
How long have you been a Christian? All my life. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: Climbing For Christ vice president, serving on two Haiti missions and one to Tanzania and Malawi, Africa, and another to Nepal. Senior high youth leader at Hope Lutheran Church, Rochester, NY. Served on youth missions to Washington, D.C., New York City, Toronto, the Adirondack Mountains, and Boston; and with Flower City Work Camp, a yearly Rochester youth outreach to help the city see Jesus.
Favorite Scripture verse: I’d already chosen two passages for Mission: Nepal 2012 when, on the last Sunday in June 2012, a verse Pastor Larry read during worship stopped me in my tracks. I opened my Bible to re-read what he’d said, and discovered that the verse, plus the next three that followed, outlined what my focus should be for the Nepal trip and the situation our team will be going into. There are many struggles and challenges facing SARA Ministries and Pastor Tej in that Hindu and Buddhist nation. Tej needs our prayers and support, as well as the Lord’s protection for and continuation of SARA’s many programs, and especially the orphanage, we will be working in. These words from 2 Timothy 4:2-5 spoke loudly to me on that Sunday: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
Special “God moment” you'd like to share: When God spoke to me in church in June 2012, His marching orders were clear. We will put on the full armor of God and boldly GO where He is sending us.
What does Climbing For Christ mean to you? This ministry is a unique blessing and calling that the Lord has placed in my life, my marriage, my family and my future. I am privileged to help fulfill His command to “Go” with the Good News into the highest, most remote places of the world.
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