Lost Item Found.

A special thanks to Kevin and His Family for going above and beyond to track down the owner of the missing photo. It's on its way to the owner on PEI. Hello Brian. Whew what a trip, and we didn’t go anywhere. We are a family that lives in Waterloo and London Ontario. We have an item of significance from a member of your recent trip to Israel – Kevin Van Alstine. We are trying to contact him but do not have an email or phone from him. We believe that this person is the individual that went to Israel recently with yourself and Nathan Green from Syndey Australia. The article we have is a signed document by members of the trip that was left on our car which was parked next to theirs (we believe). Please help us get this to him as it has many kind words highlighting your trip. Through exhaustive searching we have located your tour blog and identified his and Nathans name. Please email us back asap. My mother actually found the item while picking up her husband at the airport. While visiting us in London they mentioned the search and we all got involved – thus the extra emails above. With Thanks, Kevin R. Thompson, M.B.A.

Post Tour Comments.

Shalom! Hey, Just wanted to say how great it was to meet each one of you! I can't believe how fast the time flew, but MAN did we ever pack a lot into a few days, eh!!! Hope you each made it home safely. :) God's richest blessings to each and every one. Nicole Bowden, Portage la Prairie. Hey! I would like to say it was truly a pleasure meeting and getting to know each and every one of you! I truly believe God put us all together for a purpose and reason, for His honour and glory. He does not do anything for no reason... He always puts us in certain situations to further us in our walk for Him, to make us into the Christians we should be! If we only trust and obey. So let us do that! There is no other way, but to Trust and Obey! I am praying that this most amazing trip we were on will help each and every one of us to live More for Christ! Peter Swan, Nova Scotia. Hi Everybody! Loved meeting you all and God does have a special purpose for each one of you! NEVER DOUBT IT! Tina Blodgett, Maine US. Hey folks, I came across this article not long ago, and thought it would be an enriching addition/reminder to what we heard and learnt about salt on the Mount of Beatitudes. God bless you all for all that you're doing for Him:) -- Hebrews 3:13 -- P.S. i truly appreciate everybody's input since the trip has finished. It reminds me a little of the spirit of Acts 2 where the early believers shared what they had "and all that believed were together, and had all things common - verse 44). Let us continue in this spirit of sharing and building each other up even if we haven't (or may not) reach the stage of selling all our possessions and breaking bread from house to house. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith - Heb 12:1. Note the word 'us'. We're not asked to run the race alone. Yours in Christ, Yumin Liang, Australia. Hey all, So I thought I'd jump on the band wagon and say what an incredible priviledge it was to be able to go to Israel with you all. It's been so encouraging to hear each of your testimonies and thoughts, both during the trip and after. I know it's very likely I won't see most of you before we go home to heaven, but this has been an experience I won't soon forget and you'll all be in my prayers. Bethany Allan, Halifax, NS. ok... so I've really enjoyed these thoughts and the others that have been shared... I don't know of any other trip where I went just knowing 1 or 2 of the group and having that change in a few short days, only to have continued sharing and the desire to still encourage each other following the trip like this. thank you all! Tabitha Bruley, USA.

Hello from Jerusalem

Hi to all our dear friends, families, and pilgrims- this is Lois writing... Saturday night- We had a bit of trouble leaving Toronto with a severe thunderstorm ripping through the area. We were quite happy to be on the ground temporarily. Everyone seemed to enjoy getting to know one another once finally airborne! Sunday -In Rome- the airport was much smaller than we expected. Half of us had already boarded when they discovered technical difficulties and we had to disembark while the repairs were made. An hour later we were in the air. Tel Aviv- Israel greeted us with warm weather and sunshine. Reuven Solomon, our tour guide met us, and on our way to the hotel we visited Joppa, home of Simon the Tanner, and where the ship picked up Jonah. Monday- Headed up the Mediterranian coast and stopped at Caesarea, Mount Carmel, Megiddo, and the Brow of the Hill in Nazareth for overnight. We stayed at a guest house in Nazareth. One of the volunteers took us downtown on a walking tour and we bought the most delicous "canoffee" dessert. Brian treated! Yummmmm! Tuesday- Up bright and early and to the Nazareth Synagogue where we sang and had devotionals. Biking- We followed the Jesus Trail as advertised on the internet as a walking trail. We didn't know, until that morning, that we were the first people to actually bike most of it. Silvie was our guide and she was great! Her assistant, Anna, captured pictures for an advertisement phamplet. We met Silvie, our biking guide,in Cana and walked up, up, and up! Quite a climb, but a wonderful warm up! Lots of commotion getting our bikes, helmets and gear ready. The trail was very difficult and rough, mostly uphill at first, and I was wondering what we had gotten into! Most of us had to push our bikes up some of the hills- it was hard on our pride. After the first half we enjoyed a lovely bike ride- it was just what we expected. Camping- We arrived early at the campground so we helped set up tents, prepare supper, and build a bonfire pit. We felt like the Israelites in the wilderness.... every man had a job. Because it was Memorial Day the "facilities" were locked up solid! It made for an interesting night! Not to fear: lots of trees. Troy Thomas actually had the gall enough to let a two-litre bottle of water spray freely in Brian's tent after he had settled for the night. I was asleep by that time but heard of it in the morning. Apparently he thought it was one of the guy's tents! Good story Troy! Around a bonfire we shared testimonies, life's experiences, and had an awesome hymn sing. Wednesday- Independence Day: A celebration of Israel's 61st year of being a recognized state. We took the bus to the top of Mount Arbel and then the bikers started their hike down the mountainside. It was pretty steep in some places: only metal U-shaped hooks to hold on to and step on. Half way down we met some cows and a bull in a cave. {We all had on red shirts that had been given to us by the NBC Morning Show news crew. They were following us and filming us for two days.} No bull chases and we made it down the hill in record time. This time one of NBC crew hopped on a bike and accompanied us as we drove. We biked through Magdala, stopped and swam at a natural spring. While there, a Jewish family invited us to join their holiday celebrations. They shared their food and beverages with us...much appreciated! As we biked through fields, woods, and along roadside paths we had time to meditate about Jesus, his journies, miracles, and teachings. The pilgrims were deeply touched as seen in their sharings and prayers. Lunch was picnic style in a citris grove. On our bikes and on the trail again. Lots of dust as we biked and VERY hot! One final hill was the highlight of the afternoon (not!) but then a swift ride down into Taghba. (Where Jesus breaks the five loves and two fishes.) Just a few more kilometers to we visited Jesus' Synagogue in Capernaum. Overnight at Capernaum. The NBC crew left us at this point and we have been told that The Morning Show to be aired on May 11th is the time our documentary will be released to the public. You might try to catch this... Thursday- All a bit stiff and slow moving this morning as we visited the site of a 2000 year old ship. It has been restored using parafin wax and it was easy to see how Jesus would have lain in the ship's hinderpart. Down to the seaside for a cruise on the Sea of Galilee. Water was smoothe and spirits were high. Hymns, "Life Lesson" devotional, and a nice quiet time gathering our own reflections rounded out this experience. A modern day 'Peter' demonstrated how to throw a round net to catch fish. No fish caught that day. Hungry pilgrims. A visit to the Jordan River was requested by John and I and it was all that we expected and more. We waded into the waters and watched other individuals dip seven times into the muddy waters. You were to rent the white gown if you wished to do the dipping, so we didn't.Lots of pictures! We then travelled down the Jordan Valley to Jericho. Although we were not allowed into their territory, they have a nice stopping place for facilities and giftshops on the highway, so those needs got met. Some quick thinking pilgrims took advantage of a camel ride. The camel owner offered Brian 26 goats for Tracy Walker, Manitoba. He seemed very impressed with her riding! Don't worry Dennis, we knew she is worth more to you than that! We are bringing her home. Arriving in Jerusalem in early evening, while Reuvan blared "The Holy City" hymn on the bus's P.A. system, we toasted (non-alcoholic juice) to the peace and blessing of Jerusalem on top of Mount Scopus. Yes, Max, I reminded them of your experience and how you had gotten robbed and tried to scare some caution into each pilgrim. We are staying at the Olive Tree Hotel which is right next to the one we stayed in last year. Brian asked me to do this update, but am getting tired and will add more later... this is all from memory and will get my notes to add more details later. We had a safe day today... it's quite a job looking after 30+ energetic youngun's. Keeps us busy! All for now, Blessings, Lois Kember

Bike Tour News.

We have just received some great news! Do to the unique nature of our bike tour from Nazareth to Capernaum on the Jesus Trail, which we have arranged as part of our mission to Israel, we have been approached by NBC news who would like to send a film crew along on the bike tour and do a news story on our group. Practically speaking it would mean that a news crew would follow us, shoot video footage and perhaps interview some of you throughout the bike ride. What does this mean for you! Brush your teeth, comb your hair, don’t fall off your bike and put on a clean pair of underwear in case you have an accident. Just Kidding! This will be very exciting and very special, I will see if I can get a final edited version for everyone as a special memory of your tour to Israel. Enjoy the tour!

Check the Weather Forecast for Israel

Click the Link below to check the 10 day forecast for Israel. http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=ISXX0010

DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSPORTS

(Jerusalem At Sunset) DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSPORTS! I hope you all are as excited as I am, that this week has finally arrived. Well your patience has paid off, in only six more nights of sleep in your own beds and then, we are off to Israel. It is my payer, that this will be the trip of a life time for you all and God has blessed me in that I will be able to share in this tour with you. Looking very much forward to meeting you all in Toronto on Saturday. A Big PS ….. Do not forget your passports, Shalom, Shalom.

Israel Tour, A Few Short Reminders

Please remember to bring your Bible and Believers Hymn Book with you to Israel. If you are in Assembly fellowship, please bring a letter of accommodation for the Assembly in Jerusalem, where we will be gathering to remember our Lord on Sunday May 3rd. Bring your bathing suit for swimming, bring a plastic bag to put your wet bathing suit in. Bring something to protect you rear-end from the off-road bike ride. It will be about 12 – 14 miles over a two day time period of cross country biking. Bring a small, light, collapsible back-pack, nothing to heavy, for the bike tour, that you can pack in your checked luggage. You will need to put in the back-pack, what you will require for the two days of biking and the one night of camping, as you will not see your luggage until we get to Tiberias. The schedule is as follows; April 27th Monday, Overnight in Nazareth. April 28th Tuesday, Bike Tour day one. Overnight in tent camp. April 29th Wednesday, Bike Tour day two. Overnight Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee. Bring your spending money in US dollars. Remember to notify your credit card banks that you will be out of the country on vacation, Give them the dates and country’s of travel. Call the number on the back of your credit cards. Remember to get some spending money (Euro’s) for Roma, Italy! Remember to use your God given senses where ever we go and stop. (Hearing, Sight, Smell, Touch and Taste) That’s only five senses! Did you know that in the Bible the number of man is Six (6). The sixth God given sense, is our God sense. As we tour Israel, in your quit times, as you are running thoughts through the stillness of your mind, use your God sense to listen for that still small voice and you will find Him in the silence. Shalom, Shalom.

Canadian Dollar Adjustment

(29 Days to go …………) It’s hard to believe Pilgrims, but we are on the count down to Israel. There were many issues we had to deal with in these economic times in order to pull everything together to make this tour happen. I would personally like to thank Lois Barbour of TPI Travel Time and Air Bauer of Dan Tours for all their behind the scenes work, giving in more ways then we will ever know to make this tour come together. I am sure if I could read their minds, they would say “Never Again” as we have had a lot of up’s and downs. At one point the tour was sold out at 55 Pilgrims and our numbers now have settled at 41and that number was arrived at with a lot of changes to the tour. One of the major outstanding issues is the value of the Canadian dollar to the US dollar. In Israel, everything land connected is priced and quoted in US dollars and converted to Canadian dollars. At the time we priced out our tour, the Canadian dollar was at 95 cents to the US dollar. Currently the Canadian dollar is at 72 cents to the US dollar. Thus we were short a lot of money with the Canadian dollar adjustment. On tours like these, there is always a little Canadian dollar adjustment, when all the final numbers are put together, but with this much change in the value of the dollars, I thought at one point that we might have to cancel the tour because the dollar adjustment was just too great a number to have to ask everyone to pay the extra required to make the numbers balance. Now for the Gospel (Good News!). To make this tour possible, all the people connected with this tour, have gone back to their suppliers and they have done their very best with pricing to make sure that the tour was able to go forward. (The bike tour people are still working with their numbers). I now have the final Canadian dollar adjustment number and I can tell you, Praise be to God, God is good! I was expecting with the Canadian dollar drop that we each would have to pay an extra $150.00 dollars to make the tour numbers balance. Too my surprise the number is less that half that, due to everyone working together. The Canadian dollar adjustment that each of us will have to pay came in at $65.00 US dollars. Due to the fast closing departure date of our tour, we are not going to be processing the payment through normal channels, as we have done with your past tour payments. We are asking each of you to bring with you on the tour, the $65.00 US dollars, and we will collect it in Toronto, at the airport, or when we meet up with you in Israel. Be’ahavat Yisrael (with a love for Israel and its people). Ken yehi ratzon (May it be God’s will) Shalom, Shalom.

Our Flight Schedule, Updated March, 25, 2009

This post was updated March, 25, 2009, to reflect a flight schedule change. Departing Toronto, Saturday, April 25th, 2009. Flight # AZ 651, Departing Toronto at 17:10, arriving Rome, April 26th, 2009 at 7:45. Flight # AZ 808, Departing Rome at 10:15, Arriving Tel Aviv at 14:25. Return Flights from Tel Aviv, Monday, May, 4th, 2009. Flight # AZ 809, Departing Tel Aviv at 5:30, arriving Rome at 8:20. Pilgrims on the Rome extension the flights are as follows. Return Flights from Rome, Tuesday, May, 5th, 2009. Flight # AZ 650, Departing Rome at 10:15, arriving Toronto at 14:10.

Question, How Much Money to bring to Israel?

The most commonly used currency in Israel is US dollars. I would recommend you bring all your Israel spending money in US dollars. I would not recommend you go out and by any (NIS) New Israeli Shekels, when you pay for something in US dollars they will give you your change in Shekels, so you will get some of the local currency anyway. You will get used to the local currency very quickly. Currently the exchange rate Is about three shekels = one Canadian dollar, so $10.00 Canadian = 30 Shekels. I am asked often “much money should I bring to Israel” I quote the Brian rule. The Brian Rule: Roughly, guess based on you current spending habits how much you might need, …… then, double it. On past tours everyone is very conservative on spending the first day. Then by day three or four everybody is out of money and looking for a banking machine. Bring a little extra cash (US dollars) with you, if you do not use it, it’s very easy to bring back home with you. The average person will spend between $25.00 to $50.00 US dollars per day on small things, Water, your lunch at noon time and small gifts to bring home to friends. For your bigger gifts that you may purchase for family members, I recommend you use your Master Card or Visa. They can be used everywhere in Israel. Remember we connect through Rome going to Israel and returning, so if you would like to by a coffee or a bottle of water or something to eat you will need Euro’s. Those Pilgrims on the Rome extension. I recommend that you go to your bank and get some Euro’s for Rome. Things are a lot more expensive in Rome then in Israel. The exchange rate today was about $1.68 Canadian for one Euro. I would recommend that you get about 30 Euro’s, which will cost you about $50.00 Canadian. Those Pilgrims not on the Rome extension, I recommend that you go to your local bank and get some Euro’s for connecting through Rome. I would recommend that you get about 15 Euro’s, which will cost you about $25.00 Canadian. Hope this helps ……

Money Issues while in Israel

Take a moment to address this issue today! Past and current experience has brought forward the following issue. This post will address issues with your banking cards while planning your trip and while on your trip to Israel. We have had peoples cards declined while trying to pay for their tour, because the amount was outside there normal spend habits. The card companies always request you notify them of any changes outside your normal spending trends. The banks today are very quick to respond to what they suspect may be fraud, because they are on the hook for any amounts charged to your account, not done so by you. Therefore they will shut down your cards very quickly, then, they wait to hear from you. When you are planning a trip you need to notify your credit card and debit card companies as to what you are doing. On the back for your credit card and debit card is a customer service number. You need to call that number and notify them of your pending plans, giving them the details, such as dates of travel and country’s of travel, (ie. Italy and Israel). If you do not do this before you go, when you try and access money with you debit card or purchase something with your credit cards, don’t be surprised when your card is declined. Your normal spending patterns and locations are captured by the banking computers, when you suddenly change your normal spending amounts and locations it flags the banking computers and they start declining your transactions, because they assume that you are outside your normal spending patters and they have not received a call from your, telling them that you are on a trip, they assume that someone is using your cards illegally and they shut down your cards until you call complaining or until you notify them. On every tour I have pilgrims who have money problems because they did not call the credit card/debit card customer service number before they left on their tour. It is twice as hard to do it when you are already in Israel, as you are now dealing with an international phone numbers and there is always a delay due to time changes and you will normally have a waiting period (24 to 48 hours) for them to re-activate your cards once they shut them down. I hope this post will help make someone’s trip less stressful by doing a little pre-planning.

Suggested Books to read for Israel

For those who have an interest, below is a suggested short list of books that will help prepare you for Israel. Please remember to bring your Bible and your Believers Hymn Book with you to Israel. We will be reading and singing at each site we visit. The suggested books are small in size and very easy reading. I have attached Web Links for your convenience. 1: Daily Life at the time of Jesus, $16.99. http://foi.org/Store_ProductDetail.aspx?pid=57g964293g7h6233I 2: Josephus the Essential Writings. $19.99. http://foi.org/Store_ProductDetail.aspx?pid=c38c3390chDI5B23 3: The Nazareth Jesus New, $16.99. This one may be hard to get as it has to come from Israel. http://nazarethvillage.com/gshop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=25 4: In His Land: an Armchair Tour of the Land of Israel, $8.99. http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/gospel/prodinfo.asp?number=B-7859 5: The Footprints of the Saviour, $7.99. http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/gospel/prodinfo.asp?number=B-FOS 6: The View from Mount Calvary, $15.99. http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/gospel/prodinfo.asp?number=X-3762 7: Jesus Our Lord, Author John Phillips, $16.99. http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/gospel/prodinfo.asp?number=X-3746 Shalom Shalom

Final Payments.

We will be processing final payments for the Israel tour this week. I received the following message from Lois Barbour and our Israel booking agent this morning. We have received the final tax figures for our calculations, and are now ready to accept final payments on the Israel trip. We would like to hear from everyone on this with their method of payment by the end of the week. Please note that we are able to accept final payment amounts either by credit card (with a 2% surcharge for processing), or by check or money order made out to DAN TOURS. Note that if you initially provided either a credit card number, or sufficient payment with your deposit, indicating you wish to have the insurance coverage, that is calculated or eliminated in your final payment. It does not mean that it has already processed on your credit card, but only that the number has been supplied for processing. Note that the credit card payment for insurance coverage will not include the 2% processing fee, and will be processed separately from the final payment on the trip. We will start sending out individual emails with the amount now needed for final payment. Please, if you have not already contacted Lois Barbour to make final payment arrangements, please do so asap. Contact Lois by phone or email. Email, lbarbour@tpi.ca Phone 709-753-9950 Toll Free at 866-433-9950 Thanks in advance for your attention into this matter.

Israel Mission 2009 has Four Focused Components.

The 2009 Mission to Israel has four main focused components. 1: Missionary Focused 2: Biblical Focused 3: Historical Focused 4: Educational Focused Our Mission statement is as follows; “To impact young Christian’s at the critical decision making time of their earthly lives.” That they might realize what they are really here on earth for. That it is not about me, but is really all about Him. The mission focus is on young Christians. There will be three chaperones: John Wells, Lois Kember and Brian Good. The registered pilgrims are from Canada (32), United States (5) and Australia (5). All are familiar to locally gathered Assemblies. For those young Christians who are in assembly fellowship, we will have the pleasure of gathering with the local Christians, who gather to His name at Jerusalem to remember our Lord. If you are gathered to a local assembly, please bring a letter of commendation with you to Israel. Everyone should bring their Bibles and Belivers Hymn Books, as we will read and sing at every site we visit. The Mission Overview: Our aim is to stimulate the five God given senses; taste, touch, hearing, seeing and smelling through a missionary, biblical, historical and educational focus. The Missionary Focus: Participants will be exposed to present day ministries in operation in three distinct cultures. We are praying that some of the young Christians would be impacted to the point of going into missionary service for His honor and His glory. We will be visiting three missionary focused groups. Palestinian Culture, The House of Hope, in Bethlehem, Director is Rhoda David, Web site is www.houseofhopemd.org Arab Culture, The Emmaus Bible Ministry. Director is George Khalil, Web Site is www.emmausnazareth.net/Index.htm Jewish Culture, Nazareth Village, Web Site is www.nazarethvillage.com The Biblical Focus: Our site visits are chosen because of Biblical reference. The Bible “comes alive” as it is open, read and taught by John Wells at each site. It is my personal experience that each pilgrim will read their Bibles in a new light following these site visits and life lessons. We will be visiting Jaffa, Tel Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Nazareth, Tabgha, Capernaum, Korazim, Safed, Zippor, Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, En Gedi, Qumran, Dead Sea, Mount of Olives, King David’s Tomb, Upper Room, Caiaphas House, and the Garden Tomb. The Historical Focus: Israel’s amazing history dates back to Bible times. Pilgrims will be eye witnesses to excavated ancient cities and sites. We will be visiting Caesarea, Bet She’an, Kibbutz Ginosar, Masada, Western Wall, and the Old City of Jerusalem. The Educational Focus: These young Christians will be taken out of the classroom setting for an on-site visit. They will be taught about the Holocaust from a survivor perspective, which is unique to Yad Vashem. They will have the opportunity to see, taste, touch and smell plants, trees and food referenced in the Bible. We have hired a retired Jewish History Teacher (Reuven Solomon) as our guide. He will be giving a 30 to 45 minute Biblical/Historical/Educational lecture at each of the sites we visit. We will be visiting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance museum, and Neot Kedumin, Israel’s Biblical Landscape Reserve. Questions about the Mission to Israel 2009, just Post a comment and I will gladly return your inquiry. Be’ahavat Yisrael (with a love for Israel and its people), Ken yehi ratzon (May it be God’s will) Shalom, Shalom,

Golgotha, The Place of a Skull

Golgotha, The Place of a Skull.

Short Reminder Trip Tips

(The Western Wall on a Friday Night ) Wailing Wall) # 1: Bring your Passport and Airline Tickets. Make some photo copies of your Passport just in case you loose it, it will be much easier to get a replacement if you have a photo copy of it. # 2: Cross pack your clothing in your suitcases, just in case they loose one of your suitcases you will still have something to wear. Ladies and Men should put their type of clothing in each others suitcase. “Men” do not put all you underwear in one suitcase, because if you are as lucky as me they will loose that suitcase and you will end up wearing your firends underwear. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING. # 3: Put your name, address and phone numbers on a piece of paper, put the paper in a plastic zip-lock bag and put it in each suitcase you plan to check. If a piece gets wet and/or lost they will still know who to call when the suitcase is found. # 4: Bring your bathing suits for swimming. # 5: Bring US dollars for your spending money or if you want to have some fun purchasing in the local currency you can purchase some NIS Shekels.( New Israel Shekel ). As well Visa and MasterCard are accepted everywhere in Israel. You can also use your debit card to withdraw money from your bank account back home. The money you receive will be Shekels. The exchange rate is about 1 to 3. One US dollar is = to 3 Shekels, or $100.00 US = $300.00 Shekels. # 6: Before you leave home ask your doctor to write a prescription for any medications you may be taking with you in the event they are lost. Keep all of your medications in their original bottles or packaging. While in Israel should you require minor medical treatment, the hotels have ready access to a doctor who will make hotel calls and write prescriptions for antibiotics, ect. A fee will be payable, by you, directly to the physician at the time the services are rendered. The fee has always been very reasonable in the past when the service has been requested. # 7:Electrical current in Israel is 220 volts, 50 Hz. You will need to bring along the necessary converters and adapters to operate any 120 volt. 60 Hz equipment that we use here in the US and Canada. I have found the best and cheapest place to purchase this travel kit is at Wal-Mart, it has about 6 or 8 different adapters in the kit for around $20.00 to $30.00 dollars. If you do not wish to purchase one of these kits, those of us who have them , usually share them, so you can recharge or operated any of your equipment. # 8: There are a few sites we visit which do not charge the tour group an admission fee. All other sites that we visit do charge an admission fee which is included in your tour price. The sites that do not charge us to visit ( an example is The Garden Tomb ), we ask that each person might have Christian fellowship with the site and leave a couple of dollars to help maintain and upkeep the sites as they are run by volunteers ( most of which are Christians ). I hope this posting will be a help to some and answer a few of your questions.

Clothing to bring to Israel

Shalom Pilgrims! Please be sure to bring your bathing suits for swimming in the Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee and at the hotels. Also, please bring a plastic bag of some sort, to put your wet bathing suits in, just in case we leave the site before your suit is dry. To answer your question about proper clothing while in Israel. While on the bike tour, we would recommend that you get the correct biking shorts with the apporate padding, then normal shorts can be put on over the top of the biking shorts. You can also purchase pants where you can un-zipper the legs turning the pants into shorts, these are a great choice. The only critical rule is while we may be touring a Jewish Holy Site. The rule of thumb is knees and shoulders should not be seen. At Jewish Holy Sites women should not wear shorts, but pants, dress or a skirt that comes below the knees. Wear casual shirts or blouses, no spaghetti straps. At Jewish Holy Sites, Men, too, must not wear shorts. Pants and shirts are the rule. Men must also wear a head covering at Jewish Holy Sites. They will provide you with a disposable head covering prior to entering the Holy Site. You should bring a sweater or light jacket with you on the bus, especially when it’s getting towards the evening, it will cool off about 10 degrees from the daytime temperatures. I would advise you to bring some sort of head covering to keep the sun off your head, i.e. hat, sun hat or scarf. Now, there has also been some discussion’s as to what to wear, to the evening meal at the Hotels. We try and keep the evening meals to “tasteful casual”, that means No Pajamas, just kidding. After a full day of touring, most folks, just want to relax and get something very nice to eat. Tasteful casual means for men, pants and a shirt, no ties or over coats. This is also fine, even for Friday night, which is Shabbat for the Jews. For the Ladies, tasteful casual would mean no shoulder-less dresses or spaghetti straps, halter tops, etc etc. For the Breaking of Bread meetings in Jerusalem the usual meeting attire would apply. Except for the Ladies, hats are not required, but a head covering is required, such as a tam, vale or shawl. Hope this helps.

Passport Information

At this point we need to all check that our Passports are current. They must be valid for at least six months after our exit date from Israel. That means that the Passport expiry date cannot be before September 4, 2009. Any passport expiry date after this date is a valid passport. We need to get photocopies of the passport face page to Lois Barbour ASAP. If you have not already done so, Please fax them to her at 709-753-9952. Lois, will need these to correctly issue your Flight Itinerary’s as your name must appear on your flight ticket as it does on you passport, they must match. As well, we will have to forward the correct names of visiting Pilgrims to the Israel authorities for pre-access clearing into Israel. I also recommend that you make a few extra photocopies of your passport face page. Pack one photocopy in your checked luggage and pack the other in your carry on bag in case you loose or have your passport stolen. Be sure to pack all valuable documents/money into a zip-lock plastic bag to protect them from water and liquids that may be in your carry-on and checked luggage. It will make replacing your passport in a foreign country much easier. Shalom Shalom.

Video Clips from 2008 Tour

The Assembly in Jerusalem. More to come ..........

Vist The Web Sites of Our Hotels

Below are WEb Links to the hotels where will be staying while in Israel. Blue Bay Hotel. http://www.hotels-of-israel.com/bluebay/blue_bay_hotel.htm?gclid=CJLnsc75v5UCFQEGQQodf0ZlPg Fauzi Azar Inn. http://www.fauziazarinn.com/ Karei Deshe Guest House. http://www.iyha.org.il/eng/Index.asp?CategoryID=63&ArticleID=44 Olive Tree Hotel. http://www.royal-plaza.co.il/olive.html Rome Extension. Holiday Inn, Eur Parco Dei Medici. http://www.holidayinn.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/romdm?rpb=hotel&crUrl=/h/d/hi/en/availsearch&ias=y

Israel 2009 Mission Itinerary.

We have put together a complete mission itinerary. It includes destinations and travel information as well as info about the hotels. Click here for the complete trip itinerary.

Lucky Pilgrims So Far

Bike Tour	Rome	Seat #	Name:
YES	YES	45	Bethany Allan
YES	YES	14	Leah Barbour
YES	YES	21	Tina Boldgett
YES	YES	55	Heather Boulter
YES	YES	20	Nicole Bowden
YES	YES	17	Tabitha Bruley
YES	NO	12	Peter Chapman
	YES	46	Jim Clark
YES	YES	27	Rylea Cole
YES	YES	30	Stephen Cress
YES	YES	42	Ceil Deagle
YES	YES	32	Tara-Jo Deagle
YES	YES	18	Ansley DeGraaf
YES	YES	16	Russell DeGraaf
YES	NO	50	Ashley Dzioba
YES	YES	49	Joseph Foreshew
YES	YES	28	Mary Fowler
NO	YES	53	Brian Good
YES	NO	31	Nathan Green
NO	YES		Mervyn Hogg
YES	YES	5	Jeswin Jeyasurya
YES	NO	25	Allan Kember
YES	YES	9	Lois Kember
YES	YES	41	Robert Kember
YES	NO	24	Yumin Liang
YES	YES	44	Alison Mccandless
YES	YES	36	Jeff McKenna
NO	YES	35	Melissa McKenna
YES	YES	52	Tyler Minnett
YES	YES	11	Amy Oaks
YES	NO	13	Laura Payne
NO	NO	8	Asheigh Smith
YES	YES	51	Peter Swan
YES	YES	23	Dan Tolman
YES	YES	48	Jennifer Tolman
YES	YES	43	Troy Thomas
NO	YES	1	Kevin Van Alstine
YES	YES	33	Tracy Walker
YES	YES	54	John Wells
YES	YES	10	Sarah Wells
YES	YES	29	Amanda West
YES	YES	47	David Zuidema

Tips For Your Mission To Israel

The currency most commonly used in Israel is the US Dollar or the NIS ( New Israel Shekel ). The exchange rate is one to three, i.e. $1.00 US Dollar = $3.00 NIS or $100.00 US Dollars = $300 NIS. For Canadians on the Tour, it is advisable to get your spending cash (American Dollars) from your local bank before leaving home as you will get a better exchange rate. The same goes for those who wish to take some Shekels; you will have to go to your local bank and have them order what you will require, as most banks do not keep Shekels on hand. Of course, you can use your Visa and MasterCard’s; they are accepted everywhere in Israel. If need be, you also can withdraw money from ATM machines in Israel. Travel Insurance, Many seasoned travelers are not aware that their health insurance will not cover them outside of North America. For a minimal amount of money, travel insurance is a must. If you need to cancel your trip due to an unforeseen emergency or serious illness, most of your trip may be non-refundable. In the event you become ill during your travels, finding and receiving medical care may be very frustrating. Booking Flights to Toronto, Canada. To help avoid a panic the day of departure, I would suggest that you get a DIRECT, early morning flight, using a travel agent, for the following three reasons: 1. If the weather is bad the morning of your departure, hopefully you can get put on a later flight, still arriving in Toronto on time for your overseas connection. We must check in between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. 2. Utilizing a direct flight helps eliminate the possibility of getting grounded at your connecting airport due to bad weather. 3: If any of the 1st two reasons occur, and you have utilized a travel agent, you can make one phone call and they can very quickly make you other arrangements so you will not miss your Toronto flights. I would suggest Lois Barbour as an agent (709-753-9950 or toll free 866-433-9950). She will be a great help, as she has access to air fares not published to the general public. Ask her to quote you pricing form your home departure airport. Pre-Flight, Leave your travel information with a family member or friend, including a copy of your passport, your flight itinerary, travel itinerary, hotel names and phone numbers. In the event of an emergency, family members may also contact Lois Barbour at TPI Travel Time, 709-753-9950 or toll free 866-433-9950. Most airlines restrict passengers to one piece of carry-on luggage (in addition to your purse, laptop, camera case). Sizes and weight of carry-on luggage are determined by Alitalia, so be sure to check with Alitalia on dimension requirements before you leave. It is suggested that each person have only one piece of checked baggage as the tour bus only has so much room for baggage, If everyone had two pieces of checked baggage we could not get it all on the bus. Click the links below for Alitalia Luggage Requirements, Checked Baggage http://www.alitalia.com/CA_EN/your_travel/baggage/checkedbaggage.htm Carry on Baggage http://www.alitalia.com/CA_EN/your_travel/baggage/handluggage.htm Liquids on Board http://www.alitalia.com/CA_EN/your_travel/baggage/liquids.htm Electronic Devices http://www.alitalia.com/CA_EN/your_travel/flight/electronicdevices.htm Keep important items and documents with you at all times. Medicines should be carried in their original packaging. Do not keep travelers checks, money, jewelry or travel documents in your checked luggage. Make sure your luggage is clearly labeled on the inside (In a plastic bag encase your luggage gets wet) as well as the outside. Check-in time for overseas flights is normally three to four hours prior to departure. When checking in at the airport, a US or Canadian passport (valid for six months after your return date) is needed as proof of identification to enter Israel. No visa is necessary. Non-U.S./Canadian citizens are responsible to fulfill appropriate entry requirements of the destination country. Contact your local consulate for information. Do not leave your luggage unattended for any length of time (no matter how short) or accept packages from strangers to carry on to the plane for them. Clearing customs in Israel may take a little longer than in most foreign countries. Keep in mind, upon arrival in Israel, you will need to go through customs. Medications/Health, Before you leave home, ask your doctor to write a prescription for any medications you may be taking with you in the event they are lost. Keep all of your medications in their original bottles or packaging. Israel has quality health care. Should you require minor treatment, most hotels have ready access to a doctor who will make a house call, write prescriptions for antibiotics, etc. A fee will be payable, by you, directly to the physician at the time services are rendered. What to Pack. Plan to dress casually, packing clothes which can be layered if the weather changes. Choose comfort over fashion, planning your wardrobe around one or two colors is ideal. Bring along a light-weight jacket which will not prove to be too cumbersome if you end up carrying it for a few hours. Do not make yourself a target by wearing expensive jewelry. A good way to conceal your valuables is by purchasing an inexpensive but light-weight pouch which attaches around your waistand is worn under your clothes. Do not over-pack...leave room in your suitcase for souvenirs. It is highly recommend that you bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as protection against the harmful rays of the sun. We will be traveling to the Dead Sea, it’s a good idea to bring a bathing suit, since it is warm enough to swim there even in the Spring. As well, most of the hotels will have pools for swimming. If you are traveling with a companion, cross-pack. Put half of your items in your companion's luggage and vice-versa. This will ease the frustration of lost luggage. Don't forget these travel sized necessities: sewing kit, first aid kit, tissues, travel clock, toiletries, plastic "zip locking" bags (for storing open bottles and collecting special items to bring back home, i.e. stones from the Sea of Galilee, Hyssop and Thorns). Remember all of the above items must be in you checked baggage. Bring your digital camera, and extra storage cards and batteries from home. Tipping,(About $100.00 US Dollars, per person, with the Bike Tour about $110.00)In Israel, it is customary to tip hotel personnel, guides and drivers. When traveling on our tour program, your tour tip is included in the cost of the tour, the Host will pay the tour guide and bus driver. A 15% tip is the average in lunch restaurants that are not part of the tour package. While tipping is not mandatory, some visitors choose to do so anyhow. Remember that a tip or gratuity is earned for services rendered in a courteous and professional manner. Shopping, All of the old towns in Israel have bazaars but the ultimate is to be found in the Old City of Jerusalem. Favorite items to purchase include leather goods, pottery, crafts, olive-wood carvings. Vendors are anxious to bargain. Meals, When traveling with a tour group, all meals are included at our hotels. Excluded would be our noon-time meals, as we are on the road touring and we will stop at fine local food establishments to give you a taste of local culture. Electric Current, Most hotels in Israel will have 220 volts AC 50 Hz. You will need to bring along necessary converters and adapters to operate any 120 volts, 60 Hz appliances such as re-charging cameras, hair dryers, electric razors, etc. Breaking Bread in Israel, I’m currently contacting some Assemblies of Christians, who we would be in fellowship with, to pursue arrangements for us to join them to remember The Lord on the Sunday we are in Israel. It will depend upon where we are, when they meet, and if we are able to get the bus to take us. I’m doing my best to make it work, I’ll keep everyone updated as to my progress. If this is the case, we will all need letters and the ladies will need veils. Currently there are three possibilities: Jerusalem, Nazareth and Haifa. Personal Meeting with Zvi in Israel, I have personally met Zvi on three occasions. For those of you who do not know who this remarkable man is, I’ll briefly introduce you to him. He is a Jewish Holocaust survivor, saved by the grace of God, who lives and preaches among the Ultra-Orthodox Jews. Through Isaiah 53, he tells them about the true Savior. In the magazine, Israel My Glory, Zvi writes an article each publication about his conversations with the Orthodox Jews. I am trying to make arrangements to have Zvi come to speak and meet each of you personally. It's a Long Way, You're at the gate, your plane awaits...the excitements mounts. Below are some tips for the making your flight as easy as possible: Dress comfortably for the flight. Wear comfortable clothes that allow freedom of movement as you will most likely be trying to sleep on the flight. Wear shoes that slip on and off easily. In order to avoid jet-lag, do not drink alcohol, caffeine or carbonated beverages. Choose natural fruit juices and water. Bring the good book (Bring along your Bible and Believers Hymn Book). They will be the best guidebooks for Israel. Store your coat and anything you are not going to use in the overhead compartment. You'll be much more comfortable with a minimum of things to shift around. Take off your shoes and make yourself as comfortable as possible right away. Bring along a moisturizer as the air in the cabin is extremely dry. Get up once in a while and stretch your arms and legs. If you find yourself extremely exhausted upon arrival in Israel (2:25 pm local time or 7:25 am Toronto time), take a brief nap after check-in and we will all meet for supper in the hotel that night. After supper, take a walk on the Mediterranean Seashore and watch the sunset. Plan for an early sightseeing start the next morning. Departing Israel, Israel's airport security is probably the tightest in the world, so it is vital that you arrive in plenty of time to board your flight. Be aware that you will need at least two hours for pre-departure screening and even more time for check-in. Odds and Ends, Wear very comfortable shoes. The streets of Jerusalem can be hilly and uneven in places. Sight-see with your hands free! No one wants to walk around the city holding a soaking wet umbrella and ten different shopping bags. A rain hat and poncho (or rain coat) are a lot easier to deal with than an umbrella. Bring along a day back-pack with a water bottle (fill it at the hotel before you leave), tissues (a definite must), note-book and pen. Keep your purchases in your day pack. Be sure to wear modest clothing when visiting any religious site. We will opt to sight-see with an Israeli tour guide, you are in for a treat. The guides are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and strictly regulated by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. Carry a photo-copy of your passport in your money pouch. You will most likely leave the original at the hotel. It is highly recommended that you bring several photo-copies of you passport with you. Should you loose your passport, it will be that much easier to get it replaced if you have a copy to present at the local consulate. Three languages are spoken in Israel: Hebrew, Arabic and English. Communications should not be a problem. Israel meets western standards of sanitation and no special precautions need to be taken. Both the water and food are safe to consume and medical facilities, are more than adequate. Take lots of pictures, introduce yourself to people, seek to be a blessing to those you meet. Pray for peace for Israel.

Israel Mission 2009, Two Day Bike Tour.

With the young Christian focus of the tour, we have built in a two day bike tour from Nazareth to Capernaum. We will be camping out under the stars in tents half way through the bike tour. The bike tour will be lead by John Wells and Lois Kember. This will be a very unique experience for you younger pilgrims, which we hope will impact you for the rest of your lives. Those pilgrims who do not have an interest in the bike tour will be traveling with me to some of the same sites as the bike tour only we will be doing it by bus. We will still meet up with the bike tour and spend the night sleeping out under the stars in tents with the rest of the group. CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE BY CLICKING BELOW. THE JESUS TRAIL. http://www.jesustrail.com/

Mission to Israel 2009, Rome Extension

We have been able to arrange an optional tour of Rome, for those folks who will be traveling back to North American (United States and Canada) via Rome/Toronto. The details are below. We will depart Israel as scheduled with everyone else on Monday, May 4th, 2009. Arriving in Rome at 8:20 am. Those who do not wish to extend their tour will continue their scheduled flight to Toronto, departing Rome @10:10 am, May 4th, 2009. Those choosing the Rome extension will depart the airport for a full day of touring in Rome, visiting the following sites, Panoramic city tour, with visits to Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, The Colosseum, Arch of Constantine and Circus Maximus, if time permits, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica. We will over night ( one night) at the Holiday Inn (Eur Parco Dei Medici). Included is a three course dinner in the Hotel. And a hot buffet breakfast the next morning. On Tuesday, May 5th, 2009, we will transfer from the hotel to the airport taking the same flight schedule we would have taken the day before (Monday). Departing Rome at 10:10 am arriving Toronto at 14:05 pm, Tuesday, May 5th, 2009. Those taking advantage of the Rome extension will have to make the appropriate flight arrangements from Toronto to you home airports to May 5th instead of May 4th. The add-on pricing is $340.00.

Mission to Israel 2009

Our mission statement; “To impact young Christian lives at the critical decision making time of their earthly lives.” That they might realize what they are really here on earth for. That it is not about me, but is really all about Him. The mission focus is young Christians, the age range of the group at this point is 17 to 38, except for the three chaperones, John Wells, Lois Kember and myself. The pilgrims who have registered are from Canada, United States (5) and Australia (5). Most are from across Canada. With the young Christian focus , we have built in a two day bike tour from Nazareth to Capernaum. We will be camping out under the stars in tents half way through the bike tour. This will be a very unique experience for the young pilgrims, which we hope will impact them for the rest of their lives. The details are as follows. We will be taking 39 pilgrims and three chaperones for a total of 42. It will be a 10 day tour (April 25 thru May 4, 2009) departing from Toronto with the option to stop over in Rome (one day) on the return home (Rome extension option is $340.00). The basic cost is $2469.00, plus the current fuel surcharge of $405.00 (we hope this will come down with the recent drop in fuel prices.) With the tip of $100.00, the total cost of the tour comes to $2974.00 (Canadian dollars) all inclusive out of Toronto. Anyone who adds on the Rome stop over must also add this cost into their tour price. If you have any further interest, you can call or email me and I will gladly answer any of your questions. My home number is 902-855-2938, my home email is bgood@pei.sympatico.ca

My work number is 902-855-2100, X-228, work Email is brian@macdougallsteel.com

If you any questions about travel to Israel, just email me your phone number and I will gladly call to discuss any questions you may have.