Back in late April we announced that we were planning a trip to the Holy Land, Israel. Well, the planning is done and we now have brochures explaining the various options and pricing which are available in the back of the church and downstairs at coffee hour. All the info is also available online the St. Paul’s website.

And to kick off our promotion of the trip off here is a

Top Ten List of the Reasons for Going on this Trip

10. Even though we will travel in very nice andcomfortable buses,Reason # 10 is you can RIDE ON A CAMEL. This is always a very worthy camera event and you’ll even get you official Israeli camel riding license.

9. This trip is full of highlights. But Reason #9 is a case of “How Low Can You Go?” when you go to the lowest place on earth, and you get a chance to, ourninth Reason …. Float in the Dead Sea.

8. No one has ever starved on our trips and that’s because of Reason #8…..The Food. You experience local delights such as Shwarma, Falafel, and Hummus. Sometimes at breakfast you’ll get honey dripping off the honeycomb. Luckily we do not get served John the Baptist’s favorite locusts. And you have a chance to try St. Peter’s fish, the same fish that the disciples caught in the Sea of Galilee.

7. And speaking of the Sea of Galilee, you’ll see a boat that has been uncovered that dates back to the time of Jesus. Which brings us to reason #7; we’ll go on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

6. And following along on our water theme, Reason # 6 to go on this trip, Youcan get baptizedor renew your baptismal vows in the Jordan River.

5. Reason #5 is to enjoy the diverse landscapes, vistas and terrain of Israel. From the snow capped top of Mount Hermon, to the fertile valleys to the raw desert regions. From the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River to Dead Sea. It’s an amazing and beautiful country.

4. Reason #4 – Everything about this trip is right. The pricing is right...the timing is right----departing right after Christmas on the first portion, students and teachers or others can get back in time without missing school or work. Plus, Fr. Joe is going with us to lead the spiritual portion of the trip.

3. Reason #3 The City of Jerusalem. Both of the trips spend four days in Jerusalem. You’ll get a chance to Pray at the Wailing Wall,see the Temple Mount and the golden Dome of the Rock;you’ll the see the Dead Sea Scrolls, visit the Holocaust Museum and we’ll ring in 2017, spending New Year’s Eve in the Holy City.

2. Reason #2 for going on this trip – You’ll be walking in Jesus’ Footsteps! From Bethlehem where he was born,to Nazareth where he grew up,to Capernaum where he began his ministry on the shores of the Galilee. In Jerusalem, we walk down the Mount of Olives where he entered the city triumphantly on Palm Sunday;We’ll visit the Garden of Gethsemane; We’ll walk on the Southern Steps where Jesus most certainly entered the Temple Mount and where Peter gave his famous Pentecost sermon;We’ll walk along the famed Via Dolorosa, the journey Jesus took to the cross on Good Friday; We’ll go in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Calvary and see the burial sites.

Drum roll please…..

And finally our #1 reason for going on this trip. It WILL change your life. You will never read the Bible the same way again. When you hear the lessons on Sunday mornings, you’ll never have to use you imaginationagain for what the geography looked like. You’ll know because you will have been there. This will be case of Seeing is Believing. As I told someone the other day, this is a once in a lifetime trip. That’s why Joe is going on it for the third time and I’m going on it for the fourth time.

-David Szen