Elysa MacLellan – Missionary

Family: I’ve been married to Jim for over 20 years.  Together we have parented and homeschooled our 7 children, the oldest is nearly grown and the youngest is 6.

Saved: I accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was 7 years old.

Current/Previous Line of Work: In my pre-marriage days, I was a missionary to Swaziland, Southern Africa.  Since being married, I’ve worked as a mental health case manager, preschool children’s minister, and artist.  I am now a full-time, homeschooling mama.

One of the Things I Find Most Fascinating: I love learning about other cultures.

FAVORITES
Book: There is no way I can pick just one but some of my favorite are IRRESISTIBLE REVOLUTION, THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY series, GREEN DOLPHIN STREET, RADICAL, CRAZY LOVE, LITTLE HOUSE series, GO HOME AND TELL,  and all books by Lisa Samson, Claudia Mair Burney, Tom Davis, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Goudge, Robert Whitlow, Elizabeth Gaskell, and River Jordan.  I also love missionary biographies, cookbooks, and books about fitness and healthy living.
Food: I love trying foods from different cultures and especially love Thai, Tex Mex, East Indian, Middle Eastern, and Greek.  I am a bit of a health nut so like to combine good-for-me with tastes-good-to-me.  My all-time favorite foods are fried oysters, chicken cordon bleu, spicy Popeyes fried chicken, samosas, chicken-on-a-stick at the state fair, a really good burger, piled on nacho chips, bbq, dark chocolate, Little Debbie Swiss rolls, pad Thai, curry, and fried pickles.  Can you tell I like food?
Snack Food: PoPcOrN and boiled peanuts
Movies: The BBC Jane Austen adaptations, the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, SOUND OF MUSIC, SIGNS, The first two NARNIA movies LWW & PRINCE CASPIAN, NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE, NACHO LIBRE, PATISSERIE COIN DE RUE, JANE EYRE (all adaptions), DESPICABLE ME, LADY IN THE WATER, THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY, AMAZING GRACE, END OF THE SPEAR
Musical Artists: Steven Curtis Chapman, John Denver, The GoGos, Sara Groves, David Crowder Band, ABBA, Brooke Fraser, Jonas Brothers, Raffi, The Wiggles, Ladysmith Black Mambaza
Actor: Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart
Actress: Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn
Time of Day: Naptime or late at night
Season: Fall
Place in the World: Swaziland, Africa
Place to Pray: My car or in the bathroom (just being real here)
Scripture: Romans 8:28
Sports Team: New Orleans Saints

LEAST FAVORITE
Food: UNfried fish
Snack Food: Pickled pigs feet
Time of Day: Anytime before when I’m ready to wake up
Season: Summer
Place in the World: Big, unfriendly cities

Best Thing Someone Said to You: Why don’t you come to Swaziland with us?
Life Motto: “Don’t let anything keep you from following the God given dreams and callings He has placed in your life”
Two People I’d Like to Meet: Katie Davis (a single missionary who has adopted 14 girls in Africa) and Precious Ramotswe
My Hero: Lottie Moon, missionary to China
Greatest Experiences with God: “The major landmark experiences with God would be when He first called me to missions as a child; when I became aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in my 20′s and let Him start working with in my life in amazing ways; when I understood radical grace for the first time in my life in my early 30′s; and when God shook our family out of our complacency and moved us into the ministry of setting the captives free and loving the lost and the least of these, culminating in His calling us to move  to Swaziland to live and minister.  When we board that plane to start our new life, I’m sure I’ll add that to the list.”
Most People Don’t Know This About Me: My goal in life, when I headed to college, was to become a fashion journalist for SEVENTEEN magazine and live in New York City.