David McDonnall gave his life in 'a collision between love and hate'

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Pastor Michael Dean of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth recalled a visit with David and Carrie McDonnall in his office last fall as David wondered aloud about security concerns in Iraq and even whether he should buy a gun.

But, as they talked, it became clear they would choose to heed any recommended safety precautions but, otherwise, they would trust in the Lord.

The McDonnalls, kneeling at the altar of Travis Avenue Church, were later commissioned and prayed for by the congregation before they departed last fall for fulltime service in Iraq.

“No doubt that image is still very vivid in the minds of many of our people,” Dean said. “It puts a very personal touch to the risk of the calling of missions.”

The couple “endeared themselves to our church,” the pastor said.

“On a road in northern Iraq, there was a collision between some American civilians and some Iraqi terrorists, but it was really much more than that. It was a collision between love and hate.”

The couple had met while serving as two-year Journeymen with the International Mission Board. They subsequently enrolled at Southwestern Seminary in Forth Worth.

Carrie McDonnall, 26, a native of Sulphur Springs, Texas is a “strong, godly girl who loved her husband and [is] a skilled missionary herself” with a similar heart for God and the people of the region,” Brennan Searcy, a Southwestern student who participated in a volunteer trip the McDonnalls led to Iraq last summer, said.

David McDonnall’s memorial service will be March 20, in Lamar, Colo., at First Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family has asked that donations be sent to First Baptist Church. Funds will be used for Horn Creek Camp and Conference Center in Westcliffe, Colo; Bibles for northern Africa; and work in Iraq. Checks payable to First Baptist Church can be mailed to First Baptist Church, 2500 S. Main, Lamar, CO 81052.

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