Study Tours Information »
MARLIN AND SALLY ARE SALARIED BY THE Reformed Church in America AND DO NOT RECEIVE ANY PAYMENT FROM THESE STUDY TOURS. ANY EXTRA INCOME GENERATED GOES TO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO TRAVEL WITH LIGHT FOR THE WORLD STUDY TOURS.
What you can expect:
OUT OF THE BUS AND INTO THE LAND!
Visit the best of the Biblical and Archeological Sites.
WALK THE TEMPLE MOUNT (Haram esh-Sharif – Islam “The Noble Sanctuary”).
Experience the churches and shrines on the Mount of Olives – Dominus Flevit, Church of All Nations, Church of Mary Magdalene, Mary’s Tomb, and the Grotto of Gethsemane. Walk down and through the Kidron Valley – Jesus’ Thursday night walk to trial and prison.
Get intimate with the Old City of Jerusalem. You don’t just follow us around! We empower you to find your way.
Sing in Saint Anne’s Church, worship along the Via Dolorosa, poke around the dark, mysterious, and marvelous Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Maneuver through Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the City of David. See the synagogue where Stephen argued with the folks who finally stoned him as Saul held their garments.
Visit and shop in Bethlehem – see the Church of the Nativity, climb and enjoy the view from Herod the Great’s fortress Herodion, hike shepherd’s fields, and if you’re blessed, and we usually are, meet and greet a local herdsman.
Take in the horror of the Holocaust with a visit to Yad Vashem.
Get geographical perspective with a stop at the Israel Museum with its remarkable replica of the 2nd Temple Jerusalem.
Hike Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls), Masada, Ein Gedi, Wadi Qilt (Old Jericho Road) and float in the Dead Sea.
Stand in the middle of the Elah Valley where David slew the great Goliath of Gath. Climb Tel Bet Shemesh and hear the echo of the wailing cows as they carried the Ark of the Covenant back from the five Lords of the Philistines. A surprise awaits us there!
MUST SEE! Herod’s harbor city Caesarea Maritime, Elijah’s Mount Carmel, Megiddo – the oldest and grandest archeological site in the country.
Get the dust of the Galilee on your feet. You’ll climb Mt. Arbel, sit in the synagogue of Gamla, one of the oldest in the country, marvel at the place of Peter’s Confession, and bask in the beauty of Tel Dan, one of Israel’s finest national parks.
Visit Nazareth, Capernaum, and more!
We expect surprises and we stop to learn from them.
“The Vises know the land…” (local bus driver and guide Andre)
AS GOOD AS TEACHING GETS!
The stories come alive.
We center on the stores of the Bible.
We read them on the sites where they happened.
We relive them in the context of the day.
Marlin is a master communicator, with experience, knowledge and passion around the BOOK!
LIVING STONES TOO!
Meet the people of the land.
Walk the narrow streets of a refugee camp and meet Atallah, a Palestinian refugee. Hear his story.
Visit a Jewish Settlement in the West Bank and meet Revkah and husband Rabbi David Moriah. Hear their story.
Meet Cedar, a Palestinian Christian with an amazing testimony.
Meet Rami, a 7th generation Jerusalem Jewish man whose 14-year-old daughter, Smadar, was killed by two suicide bombers. Rami’s story will touch you at the deepest level and move you to action.
Encounter Bedouins, many still living in the culture of the Old Testament.
Interact with shopkeepers and waiters and bus drivers and let them tell you what living in this conflicted place is all about.
BE AN EYEWITNESS!
See for yourself.
We do not ignore contemporary issues. We believe it is irresponsible to bring people to his region and then not let them see for themselves what is happening here.
Touch the Separation/Security Wall. Hear from both sides about why it is there and how it impacts the lives of the people of the area.
Visit a Jewish Settlement.
Visit a Palestinian Refugee Camp.
Walk in all Four Quarters of the Old City.
Go to West Jerusalem, the Jewish side of town.
Be in East Jerusalem, the Palestinian side of town.
Come back with healthy balance and perspective!
SURPRISES EXPECTED!
Off the script.
We pause over gifts given! When something surprising interrupts our schedule, we wonder if God is not at work. We stop to find out.
YOU MATTER TO US!
Sally and Marlin attend to your needs.
You are our ministry. We care that you have the best possible experience, and we believe you will. Every evaluation turned in rates our study tour as highly as possible. But, by far and away, the most important comments made relate to our care and devotion to those who travel with us.
Simply put: You are our number one priority!