This is a reprint from an article in the Kansas City Star about our own, John Wilson, and his work with Hope Kenya.  BIG thanks to our good friend, Tom Bassford, for working to pull this together. It is great to be a part of a church that is living out. Did you know there are four indigenous ministries from Indian Creek (that means ministries started by people that attend here)?

Olathe church hosts development summit on Kenya

Tom Bassford of Olathe-based non-profit Significant Matters was among the hosts of a conference in Olathe that included two representatives from the Kenyan Embassy to the United States, Felicina Ndwiga and Seif Mohammaed Salim.

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Hope Kenya and Significant Matters, two nonprofit ministries headquartered in Olathe, recently hosted the Kansas City Kenyan Community Development Summit.

The gathering took place Aug. 15 at Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe.

The intent of the event was to create a forum in which individuals, organizations and public officials with an interest in sustainable community development within Kenya could meet for mutual sharing, networking and potential collaboration.

About 40 individuals and six different organizations, including churches, nonprofits and businesses interested in investing in Kenya, attended. Also attending were two representatives from the Kenyan Embassy to the United States.

John G. Wilson, executive director of Hope Kenya, said “we invited very specific people and organizations” to come together and discover their shared interests and opportunities.

“The conference was a success,” Wilson said.

Organizers said plans are under way to host another summit in 2010 that would include the Kenyan Ambassador to the U.S., Peter Ogego, and an even greater number of individuals and organizations in the area interested in holistic, sustainable community development in Kenya.

Seif Mohammaed Salim, the Keynyan Embassy’s First Secretary, said that in four years and hundreds of similar meetings across the U.S. he has never seen the kind of American/Kenyan collaboration that he saw at the gathering at Indian Creek. He also said he was greatly encouraged by the emphasis on a holistic/sustainable approach.