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You've come to the end of the story, and we have arrived safely back in Canada. Thank-you for faithfully following our experiences in Mozambique!

Some of you have suggested that I should publish this blog and use the proceeds to continue the micro-enterprise development program in Mozambique that has been started over the past year.

Thanks to your suggestions, we have revised the blogs into a book format, which is now shipping! Please visit www.StevenMKuhn.com for more information, and to order your copy today!

Thanks again for your support over the past year.

Steve and Laura.

Quiet Confidence

Reflecting on today's departure from Mozambique adds a certain depth of understanding to a much more significant departure that took place some 2,000 years ago. Imagine the contrast that an honestly reflective Jesus would have seen: the gulf between his perfect self and the young, imperfect church that he created.

Jesus' ministry lasted all of three years. Three years to identify, train and mentor a small band of misfit fishermen and tax collectors to share an incredible story of salvation with an unbelieving people. Three years to build the ultimate in self-sustaining and self-propagating ministries.

Imagine the disciples' fears as Jesus began to foretell his departure: "We're not ready for you to leave us," they surely would have complained. "Can we please go over those parables once more, just to make sure that we understand them?"

"Jesus, can you please edit this early manuscript of the gospels? If you don't have time to read them completely, at least read the red-ink parts, just to make sure we've captured your words properly."

Their fears ran deep, and they were well-founded. Even the Rock upon which Jesus chose to build the church, his disciple Peter, was woefully and completely unprepared. Peter's disappointing last act with Jesus involved drawing his sword in a fit of uncontrolled anger and chopping off the ear of the servant of the high priest who was arresting Jesus.

This is the rock upon which God will build his church.

Shortly afterwards, as Jesus is facing his day in court and the crucifixion plan is irreversibly set into motion, Peter denies knowing Jesus. He denies being a disciple of the Most High God to none other than an unthreatening, harmless little girl standing in a doorway. "But I'm not ready to assume responsibility as the Rock," Peter must have protested to Jesus.

Jesus had predicted Peter's failures, and yet chose to follow through with the plans of the Father despite the protestations of those who followed him.

In fact, the only disciple pleased about God's timetable might have been Judas Iscariot, eager to receive his thirty silver coins for having betrayed our Saviour.

And yet God didn't revise his schedule. He didn't delay the crucifixion just a couple more weeks to make sure that everyone was prepared for His Son's departure.

Jesus knew that it was time for him to go, and had a quiet confidence that, in his short ministry, he had set the wheels in motion for the world to hear of his wonderful story -- and knew that, without his departure, the disciples would forever remain pupils, never making the leap to teachers and fishers of men. He left, trusting His disciples to make mistakes, to learn, and to stumble through. And today, 2,000 years later, their legacy remains: a large yet imperfect church that worships a most perfect God.

Jesus' own ministry was no less than the salvation of the world, and he had the confidence to leave it in the hands of a flock of flawed followers. Learning from His example, I too can have the confidence to leave the ministry that I have worked to build over the past year in the hands of Mario and Samuel.

So here you are, Mario and Samuel, I hand this program off from one cracked pot to another. My airplane awaits.

Once Again, An Empty House

Despite constant change, life has a way of going in circles. There is a first time for everything, but even many of these firsts feel strangely familiar. We are back at one of those moments today. Back at the beginning of the circle.

By the end of the weekend, furniture will have been moved out of our apartment, sold in order to fill a deficit in our fundraising account. Laura and I will be living amidst barely more than a few stray dust balls recently exposed to the light of day.

For Laura, school finished this week. We are standing in the wake of an exodus of foreigners: diplomats returning home for summer vacations, business men and women returning to head offices, missionaries going home to raise more money.

Our stomachs are overflowing with the bounty of farewell dinners, some hosted by us, some held in our honour. We are sad to leave behind so many people whom we did not even know a year ago. Many people have asked us about plans to return, but we offer no promises. Perhaps we will meet again. Perhaps only in heaven.

We have been eager to finish well; eager to maintain motivation and energy right up to our departing moments, but our minds are drifting back home. It has been difficult to kindle new friendships that we know will be difficult to sustain in such a short time.

And we are only too aware that, for the Mozambicans that we leave behind, their stories started long before we arrived and will extend far into the future. We will soon be forgotten by all but our closest friends, replaced in body and memory by a new set of missionaries with different perspectives, different backgrounds, different ways of doing things. Perhaps missionaries from North America; perhaps missionaries from Africa.

We are ready to return home, though not entirely ready to leave this home. And we realize that the home we return to will not be the home we left a year ago -- not because it has changed, but because we have changed. Because we have spent the past year being transformed in the crucible of God's hands.

We have been living a life that, despite our best efforts, slide presentations and photographs will never completely convey. Our friends and family will never completely be able to relate to the stories we share. And our friends and family have continued to live their lives over the past year as well. Their own stories have continued on, and we are all faced with the task of weaving these two divergent stories back together.

In just a few days we will experience another shock as we once again splash the crisp, cool water of our home culture on our faces. And have the freedom once again to brush our teeth with the convenience of tap water.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. And He is the same in Mozambique as in Europe as in North America. His constancy is the foundation that will keep us anchored as we prepare for yet another transition.

A Tour of Good-Byes

With only two weeks remaining before our departure, Laura and I have begun the task of saying farewell. In this culture, farewells are extremely important. And saying these farewells is a job made more difficult by the fact that we have no plans for returning, and cannot make any promises in response to people's requests for us to return.

Our new friends Dave & Ann, who have recently moved to Mozambique from the United States to start a career as missionaries, bumped into us on one stop on our departure tour and wrote the following on their own blog:

This morning we went out to Khongolote as we knew our friend Juca was preaching and we feel such a part of this church. When we pulled up, we saw Steve and Laura Kuhn’s car and were glad to see them. They only have a couple more Sundays in Mozambique and we are probably going to cry when they leave. Steve has been helping with micro-economic development programs and Laura teaches at our school. They came for a one-year assignment and what an impact they have had.

Steve and Laura simply wanted to say ‘good-bye’ to the people of Khongolote. But the church would have none of that! They were called up to the front, not once, but twice. The people laid hands on them, thanking God that they came, praying for their safe return, and praying for their future ministry. Steve spoke a short time in a mixture of Portuguese and Tsonga, encouraging the people. When the Tsonga words came out, the older ladies clicked in pleased response. It was clear that they have the hearts of the people. In the end, everyone waved their hands at them (BIG waves) and said over and over “Boa Viagem!” (Good trip!). The entire thing brought tears to my eyes and I thank God for the short time we have been able to spend with this delightful and inspiring young couple.

Thanks, Dave & Ann, for your kind words. You can read Dave & Ann's blog at this address. In their blog, they do a great job of conveying their experiences as they settle into their second career as missionaries in Mozambique.