Proposed Tour of the Middle East

God willing, plans are being made to conduct a Christadelphian Tour of Bible Lands in 1983. Since this information was first made known in the July-August issue of The Tidings the interest of many brethren and sisters has been sparked and registrations have begun to come in.

Sis. Marguerite Higham of Salem Travel who organized the previous tour of Israel which turned out to be so successful is going to be in Israel within the next few weeks finalizing the details of the proposed trip in 1983.

The cost of air travel continues to change so it is difficult to give a completely accurate esti­mate of the costs but it is estimated that the cost for the trip will be on the plus side of $2000 for approximately 3 weeks, from New York. This will include all travel, hotel ac­commodations and two meals each day.

It is hoped to first go to Egypt, then hopefully travel by land along the route that the children of Israel took when they left Egypt, going to Mount Sinai and then across over into Jordan to visit the red rose city of Petra and then north to Mount Nebo to view the land from the vantage point where Moses saw the promised land before he fell asleep awaiting the call of the latter day Joshua who will lead all the faithful into that glorious land never again to be rooted out.

From Jordan we hope to enter into Israel and spend the rest of the tour traveling the roads so well known to the faithful of all ages past from Abraham to Christ.

There is a thrill being in the land that is indescribable and can only be felt by personal experience. We recommend that all who have an interest in being included in this wonderful trip to send in their tentative reservation right away. When we reach our allotted number we will have to place later reservations on a stand by basis. Please send $10.00 for each registrant to: Chriistadelphian Tour of Bible Lands, Box 1066 Pasadena, California 91102.

This initial deposit will be fully refunded if cancelled. The exact date of the trip has not yet been determined but it is planned, God willing, for the spring of 1983.

God willing, plans are being made to conduct a Christadelphian Tour of Bible Lands in 1983. Hopefully the brethren and sisters going will be a combination of those from the U.S., and Canada and Australia.

While touring the ecclesias of Australia, the editor of The Tidings discovered that there was great interest in the brotherhood there to join with their brethren and sisters of North America by meeting in the Promised Land and seeing first hand the places known so well to us by name. A number have already asked that their names be placed on the reservation list.

Upon returning we have learned that there is great interest among many on the East Coast who want to return to the land who were members of the first North American Tour of Bible Lands which took place back in 1973.

Plans are now being formulated by Sis. Marguerite Higham of Salem Travel who arranged the complete itinerary for that first trip which turned out to be so successful.

In order to determine the interest in North America for such a trip, we need to hear from all those who want to be included. Of course, all such plans are always subject to the Lord’s will, and it may be that we will all be in Jerusalem long before this scheduled trip takes place.

It has been discovered by those who have been in “the land” that seeing these historic places first hand helps to make the Bible come alive and it can increase our zeal and determination to “hold fast” until the Lord Himself returns to take us there to be inducted into his glorious kingdom.

Some are hesitant to go, citing the dangers of travel in the Middle East, but we all need to remember that “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.”

Those that have a burning desire to visit the land realize that there are streets in North America that are not as safe as the streets of Jerusalem and certainly we do not plan to take any unnecessary risks. Out of the millions who have visited Israel as tourists over the past few years, the number of unfortunate incidents have been very few indeed.

We are anxious to hear an expression of interest by September 15, 1982. Those who feel they would like to go should please send us their names, addresses and a deposit of ten dol­lars per person to: Christadelphian Tour of Bible Lands, Box 1066, Pasadena, California 91102. This deposit will be fully refunded if cancelled.

More details will be forthcoming when we have determined the degree of interest among the brotherhood. The minimum length of the tour would be three weeks and the cost will be determined by a number of things, including how many go. Certain costs remain about the same such as the cost of a bus that holds 36 passengers If only 25 go, then that cost must be divided by a smaller number.

The purpose of this first announcement is to find out just how many really want to go, then we can help furnish more details to those truly interested. If we hear from a sufficient number before the September 15, 1982 deadline, then we will proceed to make plans, otherwise the idea will be dropped.

It is our prayer that if the Lord has not returned by the spring of 1983 that many brethren and sisters from North America and Australia will truly be able to say, “Next year in Jerusalem.”