The parable of the sower - Darwin West

Darwin (in red) serves with a GO team in Nicaragua in 2014

By Larry Cochran

“Behold, a sower went out to sow……”  Mt 13:3

When Jesus tells the parable of the sower He is speaking about those who love to give God’s Word to others.  Forty years ago in 1980, I met Darwin West on a mission trip to Mexico.  A businessman from Somerset, KY, he loved to pass out bible tracts in whatever community we found ourselves serving.

In those early days, we worked from sun up to sun down constructing new church buildings in the hot Mexican heat.  Darwin loved children and throughout our long days, whenever the chance was given he would give a tract that even a child could understand.  The tracts were titled, “How to Know God” and printed in a simple form.

When I came to GO InterNational in 1985 I invited Darwin to travel with me often.  He and his family generously donated New Testaments and tracts to assist our teams.  For 40 years he has donated thousands of tracts and Bibles to assist our evangelism campaigns in countries all over Latin America.

In 1995 he took his daughter Jill to El Salvador where she led the sewing classes for women.  When she returned, she started a ministry to provide remodeled sewing machines for our GO teams.  Sewing classes are instrumental in helping women make clothes for their children, but also a great opportunity for our women to share testimonies of how Christ had changed their lives.

When Hurricane Mitch decimated most of Nicaragua, our teams went in to help reconstruct church buildings, clinics, and some houses.  Sewing classes were always offered through the generous donations of Jill and her remodeled sewing machines. Tracts and Bibles, plus the machines, have made a tremendous impact on the lives of hundreds of people.

“God has given me a passion to distribute God’s Word all my life. Missionary World Press will donate tracts for a simple offering and the New Testaments are reasonably priced. I love to spend as much time as I can to serve God through these tracts and Bibles. I want everyone I meet to have the opportunity to read the Gospel message and have the opportunity to know God’s plan of salvation.”

Darwin hasn’t been able to travel much in recent years due to health issues, but he and his wife Lana are constantly giving our GO teams the tools we need to help others know Jesus Christ through his beloved tracts.  Thank you Darwin for the inspirational life you have lived!