Help support our friends in Israel in their time of need.
Israel Study Tour - The Forge (Pine Cove)
March 8-20, 2014
Led by Matt Lantz
Subscription options are no longer available for this tour.
Trip Blog Posts
Trip Wrap Up
posted on Friday March 21 2014 at 1:01 am UTC
Thanks for following along with our study tour. Hopefully you'll get an opportunity to connect with one us in person to ask questions and learn more about our time walking and studying in Israel. In the meantime, this video will serve as a fun wrap up that encapsulates the highlights of our time in...
Shalom from Jerusalem!
posted on Wednesday March 19 2014 at 7:20 pm UTC
We are on our way to our farewell dinner and afterwards to the airport to catch our flight home. We had a full day though and wanted to give you all a brief glimpse and a few pictures before we get on the plane. We started the morning on the Mount of Olives and began to trace the last week of Jesus'...
Hope in the Darkness
posted on Wednesday March 19 2014 at 1:39 am UTC
by Laura Snyder Words fail me as I sit in the security of my hotel room. How do I formulate ideas worthy ofthis day? This, a day of vastly conflicting emotions and feelings. This, a day of perfect dichotomy between life and death. This, a window into mindblowing ingenuity and heart-numbing hatred. Our...
Tension
posted on Tuesday March 18 2014 at 1:38 am UTC
By Charissa Birnbaum This morning, we started our day at a site called Yad Hashmona. Here, we saw what agriculture on a terraced hill looked like. We saw date palms, fig trees, and olive trees, and learned that the harvests of each crop would take place in different seasons. This emphasized the need...
To the Ends of the Earth
posted on Monday March 17 2014 at 1:42 am UTC
by William Meyers Today we wrapped up our final day in the region around Galilee. We spent much of the day yesterday around the Jezreel Valley, and the trend continued today. We started off taking one last look at the Sea of Galilee before hopping on the bus to head to Jesus' hometown, Nazareth....
When Fear Leads to Faith
posted on Sunday March 16 2014 at 1:43 am UTC
by Mackenzie Messinger Today was a BIG day! Beginning with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, our Israeli guide, Ronen, informed us about what fishing would have looked like in the first century, which set the scene for what Bunga had to teach us. We walked through the story of Jesus calming the...
Who do YOU say that I am?
posted on Saturday March 15 2014 at 1:28 am UTC
By: Madison Humphries Day 5. About halway through the trip and we have now successfully walked/hiked/and swam our way through a lot of Israel. I say swam because yes, we have had the incredible opportunity to swim in the Sea of Galilee and have baptisims in the Jordan River but we have also had our...
Blessings in the Rain
posted on Friday March 14 2014 at 12:22 am UTC
By Callie Yeager It’s been another BIG DAY in Israel. We were able to eat breakfast privately in the bar area this morning as a group. Walking into that room this morning I was struck by the incredible service that the staff at the Ein Gev Resort provide. Walking counterclockwise around the room,...
Reflecting Jesus
posted on Thursday March 13 2014 at 12:57 am UTC
By: Laura Snyder When devotions beside the Sea of Galilee was accentuated by a piercing rainbow, I knew it was going to be, as Matt often says, a big day! When the bus ride back to the hotel was bookended by a perfect double rainbow across the Jordan River, the only appropriate thought was, “A big...
Eyes for Faith
posted on Wednesday March 12 2014 at 12:55 am UTC
[bs_row class="row"][bs_col class="col-sm-8"] By Wally Jenkins For the second day in a row I rolled out of bed before 5:30 AM. I must still be adjusting to the time change, or the excitement for the excursions of the day gets me out of bed. I started the day on the rooftop of the hotel with John,...
Flourishing in the Desert
posted on Tuesday March 11 2014 at 12:50 am UTC
[bs_row class="row"][bs_col class="col-sm-8"] By Matt Lantz Shalom from Israel! What a BIG day we had today! We awoke this morning in the small town of Mitzpe Ramon in the South of Israel. After a delightful breakfast, we made our way to Makhtesh Ramon for our first hike of the day. The overlook...
Safe and Sound at our Hotel
posted on Sunday March 09 2014 at 9:02 pm UTC
[bs_row class="row"][bs_col class="col-sm-6"] Hi everyone! At long last we have made it to our hotel and are looking forward to long-anticipated showers and a comfy bed to sleep in. After arriving at Tel Aviv, we grabbed or bags and got on the bus to meet our guide, Ronen, and driver, Yigal. We drove...
We made it to Israel!
posted on Sunday March 09 2014 at 4:26 pm UTC
[bs_row class="row"][bs_col class="col-sm-6"]After about 11 hours and just over 6,000 miles, we have made it safely to Israel! Thanks for your prayers; please keep them coming! More updates soon! [/bs_col][bs_col class="col-sm-6"] [/bs_col][/bs_row] ...
On Our Way!
posted on Sunday March 09 2014 at 1:13 am UTC
[bs_row class="row"][bs_col class="col-sm-6"] We are ready to make our trip over the Atlantic! We've had a good trip so far and enjoyed some Philly cheese steak sandwiches during our layover in Philadelphia. Now we are waiting to board our flight and head to Tel Aviv! We will try to post as soon as...
And We're Off!
posted on Saturday March 08 2014 at 6:24 pm UTC
Shalom! The group traveling from Tyler met up this morning. We are on our way to DFW airport to meet the rest of our group. We're so excited and looking forward to this adventure! Thanks for following along and praying for our time. In addition to daily posts here on the Online Tour Journal you can...
Preparing for Israel
posted on Thursday February 13 2014 at 6:34 pm UTC
Our trip to Israel will be here before you know it! Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post updates, photos, and more about once a day. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. Half the purpose of sharing our travel experiences through this...