This blog has moved

My short experience with "blogger" has been a frustrating one. Because of this, I have moved to Wordpress.

You can find my blog here: www.heathercostaras.wordpress.com

Thanks!

Umoja #2 in Durban

I love the guys at Tearfund's Inspired Individuals Initiative! They give me all sorts of wonderful opportunities - including a trip to Durban from the 2nd - 5th March for the second Umoja conference - with the wonderful Francis Njorge (a man whose brain I would love to download into my own!).

We stayed at the Bel Air Suites on Durban beachfront (lovely!) - and I enjoyed a fascinating couple of days - learning from the other delegates, and Francis - about community development and upliftment initiatives that work (a hand UP - instead of a hand-out!!)

An interesting, enlightening game (and fun!)...

Francis Njorge - our wise facilitator.

Musa & Nyasha (fellow Inspired's) having a laugh.

Joyce (from Zimbabwe), Theresa (from Malawi) and me. Joyce & Theresa are also nominees of Tearfund's Inspired Individuals Programme.

The Bel Air Suites on Durban Beachfront. Lovely hotel.

Umoja stuff.

Tracey Webster. "Inspired Individual" and good friend.

David (from Uganda) - also a Tearfund Inspired Individual.

Flip-pad of expectations.

Focus. Questions. Storytelling.

Our conference room...

The view from my hotel window of Durban's beachfront.

Inspired Patricia

As some of you may know, I was nominated as an Inspired Individual by international aid organisation, Tearfund, in 2009. One of my fellow Inspired Individuals, Patricia Sawo, is doing amazing work in Kenya - teaching the community about HIV/AIDS (Patricia has been living 'positively' for a number of years now).

Patricia has recently been selected as one of CNN's "Heroes" - click here to read the article and watch the video about this inspiring woman!

Music Video Shoot

On Saturday and Sunday, my husband was very busy filming the new music video for Joe Niemand (who is also a good friend of ours). Nick has shot / directed / edited 2 of Joe's music videos including Jericho and Your Surrender (click on my links to watch them).

The latest video is for the Afrikaans song, "Ek sal nie bang wees nie". The shoot location was at Fort Klapperkop in Pretoria - a lovely, scenic spot that I never even knew existed! I brought the kids along to watch their dad in action (they loved it).

Nick's cousin, Mike Brits, took these pics of the proceedings...

Imagine...

I have been an obedient, well-behaved, good-Christian-girl for most of my life, and I have thus spent many... many days / hours /years attending church. I started attending church at the age of 2 (when my mother became a Christian)... and through the years I have been a member of the Full Gospel Church, various Baptist churches, a Methodist church, a Pentecostal church, a Charismatic church and a number of "non-denominational" churches (all mysteriously containing the word "Ministries" in their name).

These days, frankly, I'm all churched-out. I'm very bored and very tired of the "system" of "religion" of "love-with-conditions". I want to hang out with real, raw, open, honest people - who are as interested (as I am) in social change... and DOING something (on this planet) - instead of just huddling up in slick church buildings, indifferent to the very real struggles of the world, praying for Jesus-to-come-soon.

I'm still a bit cynical - (when it comes to all things which wear a loud label announcing: Christian!)... but, that said, I'm also on a wonderful journey with some fellow Christ-followers - and our journey looks (and is) refreshingly different to that which I've known for most of my life.

I am part of a small community called "Imagine". We meet every Sunday in coffee shops and homes. We are a very diverse group of believers - and every meeting consists of a fascinating array of stories and opinions (our meetings are very conversational - never dominated by one person alone).

Anyway - one of the things I love about the Imagineers - is their willingness to involve themselves fully in the crises facing our planet and our community. Three days ago, a couple of us had a wonderful brain-storming session at Mugg & Bean... coming up with sustainable ways of community development and upliftment. There's still a lot for us to hash through - and SO(!) many ideas - but I just love that we're being proactive in the ways that matter.

I will update you with our progress as time goes by. I'm pretty soon that the Imagine community will be launching a number of exciting projects... soon!

Here are some pics...

From left: Marcus, Nick (not my Nick), Wayne, Peter & Raymond. The empty chair is where I was sitting! :-)

My illustration: imagining Imagine... (often, the best way for me to process my thoughts is to sketch them out)

Above: Ideas - starting to take shape...

Above: Raymond's idea...

Above: Marcus did a great job of explaining himself with this sketch.

Read this book!

I read this book a couple of months ago (my sister now has it)... and it had a profound impact on me. "Half the Sky" is available in bookstores around the world (the cover artwork is different in the States).

If you are a person who is interested in BEING the change that you want to see in the world - this book will challenge and inspire you!

I encourage you to:

1) Buy the book

2) Read the book

3) Act on what you've read.

That was my mini rant of the day.

:-)

A more interesting version of the fish quote...

Everyone has heard the quote:

"Give a man a fish - and you feed him for a day

Teach him how to fish - and you feed him for a lifetime"

But the quote below resonates strongly with me - because it's true.

PS: About the photo - I shot this in Zambia in a village church just outside of Choma. It's still one of my favourite photos.