While we love our missionary life and would not trade it for anything in the world, there are certain aspects about life in these United States that are absolutely priceless.  We will sorely miss some things as we return to the field, and few of them have to do with the material. 

• We will miss the peaceful drive down the country lane. Traffic in Peru is utter chaos everywhere you go! There are no peaceful drives, ever.
• Trees, lots and lots of trees and rolling green countrysides. In Peru we live in a dessert city of 8 million people where it does not rain.
• We will miss a reliable postal service with front door parcel post delivery.  Third world countries don’t offer mail delivery to your door, and picking up a package is a day spent in the customs office. 
• We will miss the pick-up basketball games in the driveway with the neighborhood friends.  There are few basketball goals, and even fewer driveways that would allow for such.  Driveways are for cars, confined within the 4 walls of your property, and most people are leery of their neighbors.
• There are no baseball games, either little league or professional.
• We will miss the handshakes that imply that someone is giving their reliable “word” that they’ll follow through.
• There are no fluffy white clouds that hang in the sky, no Old Glory waving in the wind.  There are no garage sales.  And perhaps missed the most, there is no corporate worship in our mother tongue.

     Though there may be times during a four year term when we long for some of these, the price of giving them up is small compared to what is gained.  We sign up to go back again because:

•  it is the way to live a life that will end with no regrets.
• We have God’s smile on us as we follow His will.
• We get to share the gospel with people who will enjoy eternity forever because we went.
• We have the privilege of doing something not everyone can do.