MAF missionaries raise support for a pooled fund out of which MAF covers salary, housing, benefits, and staff-related ministry expenses. MAF exercises discretion over the use of missionary support to carry out its mission and care for its staff.
Dave and Crissie Rask have served as MAF missionaries since 1981 and are currently based in Nampa, Idaho. Their adult son Ian lives with them. Their son Evan, his wife Lona, and their three children live and work in Oklahoma.
For 16 years Dave and Crissie ministered in four different MAF locations in Papua, Indonesia, flying and serving Bible translators, national church development and medical work.
In 1999 Dave was appointed Manager of Safety for MAF, requiring a move back to MAF-US headquarters. Dave went on to serve as Director of Aviation Resources Division until 2020. Now, as Operations Support and Fleet Manager, Dave’s overseas aviation experience, wisdom and managerial skills are utilized as he coordinates the purchase and deployment of all MAF aircraft and related equipment worldwide.
Crissie is the Manager of Mobilization – the team tasked with finding and connecting people who have a call to serve through aviation, technology, and teaching, with MAF. Crissie served as a mobilizer for many years and particularly loves developing relationships and seeing God prepare skilled people to serve with MAF.
Dave was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts. His family had a strong Christian influence on him, and he accepted Christ as a young child. He attended Berkshire Christian College in Massachusetts, and then Moody Bible Institute and Moody Aviation where he received a B.S. in Missionary Aviation Technology. Dave is a commercial pilot with a CFI and instrument rating. He also holds an A&P license and Aviation Safety Certification from the University of Southern California.
Crissie was born in Maquoketa, Iowa, and spent her school years in Irian Jaya (now Papua, Indonesia) as the child of missionary parents. Her father, Phil Masters, was martyred in 1968 by an unreached tribe near the village where he and his wife Phyliss were ministering. Phyliss continued her ministry in Papua until 1987 when she returned to the US to care for her aging father.
Crissie accepted Christ as her Savior as a preschooler. She states, “My life and growth were most affected by my parents’ commitment to a godly home and life and to reaching the people of Papua with the gospel.” She received a diploma in Communications from Moody Bible Institute and a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Northern Illinois University. Dave and Crissie met at Moody and married in 1979 after completing their education.
Dave feels that his primary responsibility is to focus on his relationship with Jesus Christ. “Spiritual fruit in our lives is a result of that relationship and not a result of our effort to produce it on our own.”
For Crissie, John 10:10 has special meaning. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” She shares that Jesus promises us the fullest possible life, and whatever changes and circumstances we face we know that He is with us.
God calls the men and women of MAF to serve Him in unique ways. He may also be calling you to a special role in Dave and Crissie’s ministry. Please prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner with them through prayer and/or financial support.
The U.S. offices of MAF serve as a hub for MAF services worldwide. A day in the life here includes specialized flight training, staff mobilization and counseling, purchasing and shipping of aircraft parts, finance and accounting, administration of an Internet gateway for worldwide email, fund raising, printing and mailing of various materials, and many, many more activities. Some staff serve around the country; training future pilots and mobilizing potential candidates to serve with MAF.