ELYAS, Rachel
Americas
Growing up in West Africa, Rachel was immersed in missions from an early age. After returning to Calgary in her teen years, she pursued her passion for Bible translation, earning a master’s degree in linguistics and exegesis. In 2006, she joined Wycliffe’s staff and, two years later, participated in a Bible translation project in Tanzania, where she met her husband, Shady. They married in 2012 and moved to Toronto for Shady’s studies, during which Rachel continued her work with Wycliffe.
In 2013 Rachel and Shady moved back to Calgary, where she served first in the applications department and then with partnership development, helping Wycliffe staff members to build strong partnerships for prayer and funding of their work. As a partnership development coach, she enjoys walking alongside others, providing coaching and resources to help them build their team of prayer and financial partners. Rachel’s greatest joy comes when colleagues return to their assignments, empowered by a strong team behind them.