Dave Stoessel

Dave, seated upper left, during Climbing For Christ’s first visit to Korchabang during Mission: Nepal 2012. C4C would later build a house of worship where this body of Nepali believers is sitting. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)

Nationality: USA. Occupation: Retired arborist. Missions with C4C: Nepal 2012, 2014, and 2022.

How long have you climbed? My first true experience was during Mission: Nepal 2012. Type of climbing you do: Mostly hiking. Highlight of climbing career: Mission: Nepal 2012 and 2014.

How long have you been a Christian? I grew up going to church and believing in God, however, my true realization of what Jesus Christ did for me came with beginning to attend Hope Church and joining in a small group study of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. I have been growing in His Word ever since. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: When my daughters were high-school age, I was involved in youth ministry as a small group leader. Currently, my wife and I lead a small group Bible study and I am blessed to serve in my church’s First Impressions team as an usher. I have also had the privilege of using the horticultural talents that God blessed me with to assist with several projects on our church campus.

Favorite Scripture verse (and why): 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”) This verse has popped up over and over in difficult times of my life. For me, it speaks to faith — we will have troubles on this earth, but these are temporary. The glory of heaven far outweighs them all! I am reminded to keep my eyes on Christ and His never-changing promise, not on the world. Have faith in Him!!!

Special “God moment” you’d like to share: During Mission: Nepal 2012, Gary Fallesen, Megh Gurung (our guide and C4C Kingdom worker), and a Nepali representative from Pastor Tej’s SARA ministry drove by “jeep” for 16 hours to visit Korchabang (in Nepal’s remote Mid-West district of Rolpa) and witness the baptism of seven new brothers and sisters in Christ. After a very long day and short night of sleep, we were led down a path to a leveled terrace on a mountainside where a small group of local Christians rolled out straw mats, set up benches for us to sit on, and generally treated us with great honor and appreciation. They then began to conduct a celebratory service for the seven new saved souls, inviting both Megh and Gary to speak. The God moment was that I had never before seen any group of believers worship our Lord with such incredible joy. I was sitting in the literal “middle of nowhere” and God was showing me a group of people who had very little in material possessions and led hard lives, but who had absolute joy in their hearts in their knowledge of their Redeemer. They were, and are, rich indeed.

What does Climbing For Christ mean to you? I am blessed to be involved in C4C. It is truly a unique ministry, both in where and who it serves. This ministry has allowed me to witness the Holy Spirit in action and to participate in Kingdom building work by GO-ing where other missionaries cannot or will not go. To me, C4C is the response to Acts 1:8 — “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses to all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” To the ends of the earth we go!