Why Not Holy Land????

On three different occasions I have had the wonderful opportunity to take groups to visit the Holy Land. We have that opportunity to go again in March of next year, and the invitation is open to everyone to experience the walks where Jesus walked.

When I first started searching for the right tour company to handle our trip, I settled on a company that I felt like offered the best presentation mixing sightseeing with a serious examination of that land based on scriptural study. Educational Travel Services started in 1974 under the leadership of a Methodist pastor who visited that part of the world and returned wanting to make it possible for all church leaders to experience the Bible lands and church heritage destinations. So he began a faith-based tour company that continues to grow Christians in their walk of faith.

They have outstanding tour guides who travel with the group the entire trip. The first guide we had back in the late 90's was a Jewish lady who was well-versed in the scripture, but still very Jewish. She was well-connected; her husband was a high official in the Israeli Treasury, and at the time I thought there could not be one better. I know the pastor who went with us that time had not ever been before, and in subsequent sermons the rest of his pastorate, he never failed to mention some situation he encountered while there.

The next time we took a group in 2011, we had a Palestinian Christian as our guide, and he proved to be even more outstanding in his knowledge and presentation of his homeland. Another asset he possessed was the relationship he had with the Palestinians with whom we had contact. For example, at the wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as we went through the security gate, the guards just waved their guns at us and smiled broadly as we entered Palestinian territory. The same treatment we had as we explored the area in Jericho. His name is Mike, and the way he worked with our pastor/leader was remarkable. When the pastor expressed a desire to see a certain site that was not on the schedule, Mike was ready and willing to alter the schedule so that our group could see an important location where Jesus had to have been present.

Our trip beginning next March 6-15, 2018, will take us to the sites around the Sea of Galilee such as Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, with the opportunity to be baptised in the Jordan River. Then we visit Cana, Nazareth, and this year, unlike other years, we plan on visiting Caesarea Phillippi where Peter made his great confession to Jesus, then we will continue to Mount Hermon which is the traditional site of the Lord's Transfiguration. Visiting Jericho, Mount of Olives, Bethlehem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Old City of Jerusalem, the Garden Tomb, then Masada and the Dead Sea are just a few of the unbelievable sites that will stir your imagination about how it must have been when Jesus and his disciples walked about.

We are currently taking reservations for next year. telecharger 20bet app The cost for the 8 nights, including air from DFW, accommodations in nice hotels, two great meals a day, transfers and daily sightseeing in deluxe motorcoaches, fuel surcharges, and taxes is only $3,746 a person. A deposit of $300 is required to hold your space and we will have a limit of 40 guests going with us, so it is important to go ahead and make those reservations as quickly as possible. For further information, go to our website, www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com, click on “Featured Tours”, then click on “Holy Land”. Watch the video for an excellent tour and watch our guide, Mike who is wearing a black shirt in the video, talk to the guests. Call Russell Berry at The Travel Factory for additional information at 698-1421 or 800-760-4040. You just cannot miss this fantastic faith-based opportunity to see the Holy Land with your own eyes, and the experience will enhance your biblical understanding, quite possible, your life.