Elaine Fallesen

Elaine Fallesen and a widow enjoying the moment in rural Malawi after taking a grand tour of her new home, one of more than three dozen homes for forgotten widows rebuilt through Climbing For Christ in 2017.

Nationality: USA. Occupation: Women's and Family Ministry/Communications Director, Climbing For Christ. Missions with C4C: Haiti 2008 and 2009; India 2023; Indonesia and Japan 2022; Kilimanjaro 2011, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024; Malawi 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2023; Nepal 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024; and Turkey 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

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: Reaching High Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

How long have you been a Christian? All my life. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: As of January 1, 2019 as full-time staffer with Climbing For Christ; team member on C4C missions to Haiti, India, Indonesia, Japan, Tanzania, Malawi, Turkey and Nepal.

Favorite Scripture verse (and why): These words from 2 Timothy 4:2-5 speak volumes: “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: God shocked my socks off with His goodness as I witnessed His Spirit in action while on mission in Turkey in 2019. We learned that two dear Muslim friends – our long-time mountain guides whom we’d prayed about for almost a decade – were now our brothers in Christ! During our trek, a young mountaineer and our driver/cook immediately asked Jesus into their hearts after we shared the Gospel with each of them! And we were reunited with a Kurdish man we didn’t recall ever meeting, but who accepted Jesus after spending a day with us years ago. Whatever it was God spoke to him through us took root, and God rocked his world. Since then he’s led family and friends to the Lord! 

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 career. I am privileged and humbled to help fulfill His command to “GO” with the Good News into the highest, most remote places of the world.