On this journey, we'll explore ancient sites from the Old and New Testaments and meet the people who live, work, and worship there today. We'll hear about their faith, struggles, and hopes for the future. The trip will offer us new insight about the land and its people: the past, present, and future of the place in which Jesus lived and did his ministry. It is our hope that all participants will forge a deeper connection to the roots of Christianity and that their faith will be strengthened. As we travel, we'll break bread together at meals and share times for worship and devotion. Our trip will be led by tour guides native to the area, and by three Lutheran pastors, two of whom were born and raised in the Holy Land. The trip includes a three-day excursion into the neighboring country of Jordan.
Tour members are from congregations of the ELCA, including Grace Lutheran Church, La Grange, IL; Faith Lutheran Church, Brookfield, IL; Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Barrington, IL and Christus Victor Lutheran Church, Elk Grove Village, IL.
We hope you'll join us for an unforgettable experience as you follow us on this journey through pictures and brief postings. "Ah'lan wa Sah'lan" Welcome!
Pastor Said and Helen Ailabouni, Grace Lutheran Church, La Grange, IL
Pastor Gabi Aelabouni, Faith Lutheran Church, Brookfield, IL
Pastor Meghan Aelabouni, Christus Victor Lutheran Church, Elk Grove Village, IL
To visit our individual church web sites, click below:
Christus Victor Lutheran Church
Lutheran Church of the Atonement
Pastor Gabi Aelebouni will be emailing updates and pictures regularly to the Faith Lutheran Church web site, so check there, also.
[ Pastor Said and Helen Ailabouni, Pastor Gabi Aelebouni and his wife Pastor Meghan Aelebouni are leading 39 other travelers on the trip which began on Sunday, November 8 when the group departed from O'Hare Airport in Chicago at 3:30 p.m. Their flight will take them to Frankfort, Germany where they will connect with a flight to Tel Aviv. ]
This map may help you to follow the Holy Land Journey. After landing in Tel Aviv, the Holy Land group bussed north, stopping at Caesaria By the Sea, and then on to the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilea, arriving there Monday night, Nov. 9.
On Tuesday, Nov 10, the group traveled north to the border with Lebanon and then turned back south, visiting Caesaria Philippi which is north of the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Beatitudes and then to Capernaum, on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee. From Capernaum they took a boat back to Tiberias.
Wednesday, Nov. 11 found the group boarding their bus to travel south and west to Nazareth, then N/NW to Sephoris, and then east to Mount Tabor, returning to Tiberias to get ready for the next day's trip to Jerusalem.
Thursday, Nov. 12, the main activity was a visit to Eilaboun, between the Sea of Galilea and Nazareth, spending time with Pastor Gabi and Pastor Meghan's family. On leaving Eilaboun, the group traveled to Caesaria By the Sea which is halfway betweeen Haifa and Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea, and continued on to Jerusalem.
Friday, Nov. 13 was spent in or near Jerusalem. The sites visited included Bethlehem and the Nativity Church, the Church of St. Peter / House of Caiaphas, the Paternoster Church and the Garden of Gethsemane.
On Saturday, Nov. 14 the group stayed in Jerusalem, visiting the Mount of Olives and learning about Augusta Victoria Hospital and the Mount of Olives Housing Project; they spent the rest of the day helping to harvest the olives on the hospital grounds.
Sunday, Nov. 15 was a quick trip to the Old City to see the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, and then 6 miles southwest to Bethlehem for Sunday services and shopping at the market. Lunch was enjoyed in a "bedouin tent"in Beit Sahour, to the east of Bethlehem, and then the group returned to the Old City to walk the Via Dolorosa and see the Tomb of the Holy Sepulchre.
Monday, Nov. 16 was also spent in the West Bank, traveling six miles to Bethelehem, slightly east of Bethlehem to Beit Sahour, and then across the Hebron Road to the west of Bethlehem to Beit Jala and then returning to Jerusalem.
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, the group traveled east to Qumran which is about 1 mile west of the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. Then they finished the trip down to the Dead Sea. After a swim, they turned north to Jericho and then west to Bethany on the Southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, returning to their hotel in Jerusalem for the last time.
On Wednesday, November 18, the Holy Land group crossed the Jordan River into Jordan and journeyed far south to Petra, just northwest of Ma an and after touring "Little Petra" settled in for the night.
Thursday, November 19, the group visited the famous site of Petra, travelled north to Mount Nebo and then six miles southeast to Madaba, continuing on to their hotel in Amman for their last night in Jordan and the last day of the Journey.
On Friday, November 20, the tour led west and a little north to Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, believed to be where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, then north and west to Jerash and then back to Amman for a last stop and then to pack for the flight home.
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