THE CAMPBELL CLAN have had some major changes in 2022.
So here is an EXTENDED UPDATE with our Missional Business Ventures.
(for a quick update on our family click on the Letter ABOVE)
FOR MORE INFO ONCAMPBELL CARRIER | VP | SOHI | BAM
READ BELOW
*NOTE: if you choose to explore these hyperlinks, BEAWARE it is not set up as an official website, rather it is a collective space for us to log some of our adventures. The majority of these links are for internal use, but we have made them available for external observations
- a sort of behind the scenes sketch, finding a method to our madness.
After acquiring His Commercial UAS (Drone) Pilot License,
he has consulted & flown in over 100 missions.
DRONE MISSIONS INCLUDE: Consulted & Surveyed Tons of Residential Homes, Dozens of Commercial Properties Surveyed, Launched a plethora of New Businesses (domestic & foreign), Real Estate, Construction, Weddings, Sport Venues, Cityscapes, Business Advertisements, Churches, Missions, and Non-Profit Promotionals, etc...
VANTAGE POINT CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS PORTFOLIO
*The Bread & Butter has been consulting for storm damage in the residential & commercial roofing industry. The Goal in 2022 was to learn the ins and outs of running a business. Forming a Business Plan |Philosophy | Sales | Marketing| Consulting | Management | Logistics & Taxes. The Goal in 2023 will be to maximize Business as Mission (BAM) opportunities. While consulting others to build and maintain sustainable missional businesses, Phil will be challenged to practice what he preaches.
VANTAGE POINT Updates, Videos & Hyperlinks Posted in blog column -->
The genesis of SoHi began with a vision to come alongside Hope Alive Africa.Hope Alive has been an amazing organization to help underprivileged children target health, wellness, education, social development, & spiritual transformation. As this Mission was growing, a generation of women on the fringe were falling through the cracks. Sisters of Hope Int. was created to fill in the crack, to help these ladies have a fighting chance.
What We Do
Basic Business Training (BBT)
Currently, we provide the women with Basic Business Training, provided by Get Hope Global which does not require them to be fully literate, but does require them to develop a business plan, including a marketing plan, along with financial tools. With the ongoing help of a business mentor to apply the business principles, the women are able to start a business or increase the potential of their current business, mostly small kiosk-types (fruits or vegetables, charcoal, dried fish).
Home Visit (Left) Village Market Place (Center) Charcoal Stoves (Right)
Village Bank (VB)
When they complete the business training, we then train them in Village Banking and help them with the start-up costs of launching their own Village Bank. This enables the women to save for the first time in their lives and to take out loans for business purposes only. We have found this to be more effective than providing microloans. Village Bank members learn how to keep accurate accounts, just like a real bank. They learn how to keep their bank growing and active, how to handle money safely, and how to avoid corruption.
SoHi Village Bank (Left) Kiosk-Vendor Visit (Center) Spicy-Tea Mobile Vendor (Right)
Skills Training
Different types of training is on-going at all our locations. We offer: sewing/tailoring instruction; baking or catering classes; sweater-making classes; jewelry-making classes; hairdressing and basket-weaving classes. We are constantly looking for ideas for training that will help our women produce sustainable income for the support of their families.
Sewing Courses (Left) Hair Stylists (Right)
English Classes
In Uganda, English is the official national language for government, business, and education. Uganda is a multilingual country with over 42 indigenous languages.
Kiosk Shack near marketplace Bean Distribution / Team Prayer
Many of these women have had their educations interrupted by war, child marriage, or poverty, among other reasons. Because schools are not free, many girls are denied an education beyond 3rd or 4th grade. The ESL classes have turned out to be one of the most appreciated services SOHI provides.
Truth is We feel so limited in our ability, inadequate in our business savviness, and we think in such holistic measures it will be difficult to invest our time, talent, and resources into this one entity. Although, we have embraced whole heartily the subculture of East Africa's people, we seem in many ways the least likely people to assist in their development. In fact, we often times return home, meditating on how our western world experiences have handicapped our own development as human beings, compared to the mercy-filled, familial, and fundementally grateful - salt of the earth people that SOHI has us rubbing shoulder with in the Pearl of Africa (Uganda), and its surrounding neighbors.
If you are interested in becoming part of our extended team, supporters, or simply want to know more.
Our Immediate Plans are to be on-site in Uganda a couple times a year. Our philosophy continues to prompt us to purposely set up the indigenous (nationals) to do the work of the ministry. If we are on-site full-time ~ year-round, then we handicap ourselves to that end. Rather, we have an amazing Ugandan Director (Jayne Oppito), and staff who have a handle on the day to day. Lord willing, and we have enough support, then we envision being on site for 3 or 4 weeks a couple times a year. There are seasonal start ups, graduations, business launches, home visits and potential U.S. Teams to host.
Will you become Full-Time Missionaries?
This is not how we envision our roll. We hesitate to say we would never do that, because God might take us up on that challenge. Rather, we enter our roll as volunteers. We do not expect to make a living with SOHI, instead we imagine it absorbing a fair amount of our margin, and we are thrilled to spend our season ahead surrendered to the call.
How can we support SOHI?
We are still exploring the potential of SOHI. The dream is to expand into multiple cities, and eventually cross the boarders into neighboring nations if the Lord so wishes. Through our previous trips we have connected with neighboring nations by them coming to Uganda, and then going back to their homelands, so maybe this will be a working strategy. We covet your prayers in so many ways. There are a ton of logistics. A) On the U.S. side of things we are setting up Non-Profit (NPO) Status here in MN. Filing with the IRS, setting up a SOHI Bank Account stateside, and much more. B) On the Uganda side of things we are working with officials to renew their Non-Government (NGO) Status, sign up Anna on the SOHI Uganda Bank Account and much more. Basically all the legal things we do in duplicate, including taxes. C) SOHI as an organization has been in good hands, but we will be going through a leaning curve as to its ongoing operations from a CEO's perspective vs. a visiting missionary. D) Then there is the task of raising support, advocating for the ladies who are stepping into the courses, and instructing them in a well rounded way as sort of their God-Parents (for lack of a better analogy). E) All of this and more - but not at the neglect of our own family, business, health etc... Other than prayer support, we are anticipating the Lord to bring likeminded people, entrepreneurs, businesses, churches, communities and support from unimaginable places ~ to invest in SOHI as the Lord leads each of them. We anticipate there will be campaigns to fundraise, and teams that will want to visit, so working out the ways in which a collective can support SoHi going forward is wide open. Practically speaking, the Website is in its pilot stage, there will be online giving portals, and likely some hand crafted merch to consume... We are trusting that in making much of Jesus call to live generously in the face of scarcity - He will open the floodgates in due course and to whatever degree others are called to be a part of that stewardship - we are excited. Honestly, our head strategy is trust Jesus, our back up strategy is to share the vision and make others aware of the needs.
Do you know what you are doing?
If you haven't picked up on it by now - No and Yes. We are aware of the apparent foolishness that we are stepping into. But we are, fully persuaded that there is a wisdom to trust in the Spirit's whisper more than the allure of our own business strategy. We can hear some of you, under your own breath saying, Yes, but there is a balance. Agreed! We have studied the organization, we have been engaged with the ministry for about 7 years and are well aware of its inner workings. As far as the business side of things, we know just enough to be dangerous, but we have consulted with multiple lawyers, and besides the accumulation of knowledge and legal filings WE HAVE PEACE THAT PASSES OUR UNDERSTANDING, and prayerfully this will cover all that we are not aware of, which may actually be foolishness.
How is Phil's Health (Neck/Head/Hip other)?
Phil has found a way to function. He is still undergoing lifelong treatments, but mostly the balance of diet, exercise, and sleep has helped tremendously. As for his HEAD/NECK - he has a couple home remedies that seem to do the trick, and in case of emergencies - Rizatriptan is his rescue med. As for his HIP - he will likely never beat Trey in a foot race again. Though the hip has it's limiting factors, he may have been spotted climbing 12/12 pitches on 3 story buildings this summer - and no one would ever know that he had a botched hip replacement a little more than a year ago.
Is Anna Still Writing Music/Songs?
Anna has been building multiple reservoirs of material that may one day be transposed into music/lyrics. She has a lifelong habit of rising early and journaling before the household turns into controlled chaos. There is a contentedness to trust that if God so wishes to share these deep intimate conversations he will bring them to light in his time frame, and by whatever creative means he purposes. Although Anna & Phil crave the creative contributions they were previously vested in, they are quick to point out that their kids are exponentially multiplying their creative influences for the kingdom.
Will your Children take an Active Roll in SOHI?
Behind the scenes this is already happening. Tori is crafting a Brand, Anika is creating the New Website and designing the platform, Trey is already asking what BoHi might look like, and Amelia is already packed and ready to fly to Africa to worship/dance with our other family.
What is the Campbell Clan's tentative SOHI Calendar 2023?
October 2022 - SoHi Distress Call - SoHi ponders closing their doors.
November '22 - Campbell Clan answers the Call, Lawyers, Legal Documents, Research NGO
December '22 - Anna Becomes Exec. Director, File for NPO status in MN, EIN status etc...
Jan/Feb '23 - Anna & Lead Team Visit Uganda and attempt a logistical reset.
Mar/April '23 New Website up and running, SoHi Advocacy Team of Directors formed in MN
May/June '23 SoHi Strategy Team convenes - Stabilizing Current Student Body and Support Team
July/Aug '23 Potential U.S. Team Visit, new initiatives, new advocates - Uganda Immersive Experience
Sept/Oct '23 Return Trip - Report and Multiply SoHi story
Nov/Dec '23 End of the Year strategies honored Traditions of SoHi employees and students.
STRATEGY: Participating/Launching/Investing in Missional Opportunities that bring about sustainable incomes in multiple markets both Domestic and Foreign.
DREAM: Exponentially Multiply into other Markets. This Paradigm Shift of Ministry in the Marketplace is still undergoing formation. We are little overwhelmed with the Eastern Africa opportunity, but we do not want to neglect our responsibilities Stateside, while still praying bold prayers that additional marketplaces will open up as the Lord Provides.
FORMING OUR CORE VALUES: Trouble-shooting | Consulting Ministry Paradigms that may need to SHIFT.
Finding plausible solutions to bring the Missional People of Jesus into the Community.
Building a Business is not the only way to accomplish this
- but it is one way to sustain & stabilize a people group
who wish impact their community for the gospel.
The BAM mission model has it's weaknesses as well,
but it is close to what we are investigating as a potential paradigm of ministry.
At our core, we are processing divergent ways to cultivate HOT SPOTS of Jesus.
How to sustain intentional Micro-Edens,
so that others may witness the gospel of Jesus and glorify God.
In addition, one of the pillars of this cultivation is to act as a GREEN HOUSE
- where the purpose of green house is to incubate & plant elsewhere -