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Israel Study Tour with The Kings University
October 27 - November 8, 2016
Led by rod vansolkema
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Trip Blog Posts
Study Tour Wrap Up
posted on Monday November 14 2016 at 11:11 pm UTC
Now that our study tour is complete, hopefully you'll be able to talk to one of us in person about what we saw, heard, learned, and experienced! Below is a wrap up video that serves as a nice summary of the trip and a reminder of all that we did. Leave us a comment below or head over and like GTI...
Farewell Israel
posted on Tuesday November 08 2016 at 12:38 am UTC
It has been a wonderful and soul-saturating trip. We're traveling home now, eager to be with those we left! We can't wait to tell you all about what we learned on this trip, but in the meantime, enjoy the blog! Mount of Olives Today was the eleventh day of our journey together and the last...
Following Which King?
posted on Sunday November 06 2016 at 11:57 pm UTC
We began our day saying the Shema and walking through any updates regarding our plans. First stop The Temple Mount!!! When we got to the Temple Mount we were faced with significant lines. Thankfully it did not take us long to get through security and get inside. At the top of our climb to the outer...
The Sign of Jonah As Never Seen Before
posted on Sunday November 06 2016 at 2:27 am UTC
“You can all get in the water!” announced Rod, our tour Rabbi. Immediately, I lost my shoes, socks, and iPhone, thankfully. I made my way carefully through the rocky river side, only to realize the rocks never stop once you get in the water, you just can’t see them. The current got stronger,...
Holding Nothing Back
posted on Friday November 04 2016 at 6:19 pm UTC
Day 8 began with Libby leading devotions with a beautiful parable teaching the value of giving our everything to God. With so many hikes behind us (and ahead of us), it was a timely reminder both physically and spiritually to hold nothing back on this trip. We loaded the bus with anticipation,...
From the desert to the mountain top
posted on Friday November 04 2016 at 12:56 am UTC
Dear friends and family, We have finally ceased our long wandering in the desert! This morning we all woke up to birdsong, and greenery, and a beautiful view of the Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee. We stayed the night at a Moshav, similar to a kibbutz except that private ownership is encouraged in...
Burning Brightly
posted on Thursday November 03 2016 at 12:57 am UTC
Today we went up to Mount Carmel, which in Hebrew is called "Mountain of the Vineyard of God." The calling of the Jewish people was to be a fruitful vine bearing luscious fruit in the land of Israel. However, by the time of the Prophet Elijah, they had compromised their calling and were participating...
Living Water
posted on Tuesday November 01 2016 at 10:33 pm UTC
Day 5 started out with the usual fabulous Israeli breakfast. We then checked out of the hotel across from the southern Dead Sea, and traveled toward En-Gedi, which is across from the northern Dead Sea. This city is where David cut off the corner of Saul's garment. We hiked up the rocky pathway,...
Only from the desert
posted on Monday October 31 2016 at 11:07 pm UTC
We love the good times. We love laughter, sunshine, birthday parties, and promotions. The good times can make us feel incredible about who we are and what we have accomplished in life. But life isn’t always filled with the good times. In Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that “To every thing there...
A vividly symbolic hike
posted on Sunday October 30 2016 at 7:12 pm UTC
Shalom friends and family! Wow, what a day! We started the day off with possibly one of the most intense hikes for some of our lives. You might have guessed it; we climbed Masada! Looking up at the trail we were about to take brought awe for us all, but for some it also brought intimidation. We began...
Moments
posted on Saturday October 29 2016 at 7:27 pm UTC
Introduction It would be nice to debrief on the MANY glorious, ancient sites we embarked upon today; yet, I’d prefer to express the moments of transformation that happen as we visited each site of purposeful meeting with YHVH—The LORD. Out of six sites, three stand supreme due to its unveiling...
Our first day in the Land of Israel
posted on Saturday October 29 2016 at 1:56 am UTC
Today was our first day in the Land of Israel on the GTI Study Tour with The King’s University Students and Alumni. I graduated last year in the MDiv MJS program, but had never been to Israel. It was truly a humbling experience. What I, or should say “we”, experienced today through the eyes...
Preparing for Israel
posted on Thursday October 20 2016 at 3:25 pm UTC
Our trip to Israel will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground in Israel, we'll post periodic updates and photos. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. We'll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family,...