At the time of this post, our tour group is enroute to Israel. The journey for most began in Phoenix AZ where 19 of us boarded a connecting flight to San Francisco, then caught our overnight flight to Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, we have other tour mates traveling from South Africa, the UK, Canada, California, Colorado, Missouri, Michigan, and North Carolina! We have enjoyed several preparatory meetings together, many via Zoom. (Technology is a great thing when used appropriately!) However, once our group flight from Phoenix touches down around 7:30pm in Tel Aviv (mid-morning, Phoenix time), we will be together as a full group for the very first time! A very jetlagged, but joyful group will meet up with Aly (our Israeli guide) and our bus driver, and we will make our way to our first hotel in Ariel.

The next morning, we will waste no time engaging the culture, as Ariel is located in Samaria, otherwise known as the West Bank! (Don’t worry…it is not dangerous and your loved ones on the tour will be safe and sound!) One of the first activities will be to visit a factory where Jews and Palestinians work happily and peacefully side-by-side! We will immediately dispel the American mindset that all Palestinians are terrorists! There is a huge difference between Palestinian people and radical Palestinian terrorists. The majority of Palestinians simply want to live a peaceful life, and we will see that truth firsthand. (We will not be visiting cities and areas where terrorists hang out!)

Pray for us as we land in Israel. Long international flights through multiple time zones often takes a toll on some. Pray for deep sleep and much rest as we arrive so that we all wake up refreshed and ready to go on our first day on the ground! Also, if you followed along with our preparatory Bible study on God’s Faithfulness, you know that we closed the study focusing on how to share the love of Jesus, so as to fulfill the Romans 11 exhortation to “move the Jews to jealousy” for the Messiah we know and love. He was their Messiah first and our hope is to share His love with those whose paths we cross. Ours is not an evangelical mission in terms of preaching to the people of Israel, but one of allowing our lives to reflect His great love. Pray that we will each be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Stay tuned, friends! The fun is about to begin. Meanwhile, the Israeli Mediterranean Coast is on the horizon and we will be landing soon!