David and Patricia Carwell

David was born and raised in Paris, IL. At the age of five, he was challenged through a Sunday morning message to think about heaven and hell. He asked his mother how he could get to heaven, and after she helped him understand John 3:16, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Because David’s parents regularly corresponded and supported missionaries, he grew up with an awareness of missions. David has been on staff with MAF since 1993 serving in Haiti, and also as an MAF Church Representative in the Chicago area. He attended Moody Bible Institute and received his B.S. in Missionary Aviation. He holds commercial and instrument pilot ratings and is an A&P mechanic with IA rating.

David shares that Romans 8:28 has been a comfort for him in difficult times, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Patricia was born in Tehran, Iran. She immigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1979. They settled in Morton Grove, IL. The movie A Thief in the Night was the evangelistic tool that God used to draw Patricia to Himself. “I questioned, at eleven years old, what my destiny would be after death. I wasn’t sure if I would rest in God’s presence. In His love, God opened my heart to Himself and at that time, gave me the faith to believe and be assured of eternal life with Him.” Patricia became aware of missions through her local church and the missionaries they support as a congregation. She graduated from Loyola University in Chicago, IL with a B.S. in Applied Industrial Psychology.

One of Patricia’s favorite verses is Lamentations 3:22, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” She shares that “God’s love and compassion is the hope that encourages and carries us through all seasons of life.”

David and Patricia met in Haiti in May 2001. David was serving there with MAF and Patricia was on a short-term mission team. They were married in November 2003.