Gary Fallesen / Wednesday, May 23, 2012 / Categories: C4C Mid-Atlantic, Bios Dan McQueen Born: 1939. Residence: Columbia, Md. Personal: Married (42 years) with two children and five grandchildren. Occupation: Retired Information Technology Professional How long have you climbed? First climbed mountains on Appalachian Trail up to 6000-plus feet in 1990. Type of climbing you do: Mostly trekking. First large mountain was Kilimanjaro in September 1998; others Aconcagua, Rainier, Kosciuszko; trekked in Peru to over 16,000 feet, Nepal, France, Switzerland, and New Zealand. How long have you been a Christian? About 29 years Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: I grew up in competitive team sports of football, basketball and baseball. Upon retirement I planned to buy West Virginia mountain property to build a house and grow fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc. God led me into individual outdoor sports, including running, hiking, climbing, biking, golfing, canoeing/kayaking, and scuba diving — from mountain tops to under the sea on all seven continents. I have witnessed to thousands, touching hundreds, including family (siblings and their families), church, friends, fellow travelers and people I have met while traveling. Favorite Scripture verse? "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good." — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJV). I believe this is the key verse to understanding God through the Bible in our current society. We are bombarded by relativism, which has crept into our thinking — including many Christians. Most people think nothing can be proved, nothing is absolute. This is satan's deception. Man wants to make decisions and live his life based on half-truths, which ultimately leads to disaster. Highlight of climbing career: I don't consider myself a climber, but I would have to say Aconcagua is the highlight. I was on a big mountain in an expedition setting, which I wanted to experience. Special "God moment" you'd like to share: Over the years I have had many "God moments" in the form of revelations, understanding and protection in dangerous situations. As a new Christian I was wrestling with God with questions, doubts and personal problems. I started running for the hundredth time for my health, which wasn't very good. Despite trying to run through a chronic condition I had to stop running. I tried almost every day for weeks to run but couldn't. Then it dawned on me and I prayed reminding God that I was not running for myself, but for my health in obedience to HIM. The next day I ran. About six months later I had another type of injury that stopped me from running. This time it took me about a week to realize my folly and pray. Again I ran the next day and for the last 28 years. Between these two events there was a hostage situation where the terrorists were killing a hostage every few hours. I couldn't go to bed and prayed until about 3:30 a.m. The next day the terrorists gave up peacefully without killing any more hostages. All three incidences were undeniable miracles. I have been a man of faith since — sustained by many reinforcing answers to prayer. Charleton Churchill Nate Lee Print 4014 Gary FallesenGary Fallesen Other posts by Gary Fallesen Contact author