Dear Partners,
Opportunity Palestine invites you to come journey with us to Palestine and experience the Holy sites of our faith and visit the education ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, 13 – 23 February 2023.
Former ELCA missionaries to the ELCJHL and Opportunity Palestine board members, Deacon Adrainne Gray and her husband Ben will host a group of 30 to see firsthand the work of the ELCJHL school ministries and the people who work tirelessly to ensure quality education for the future leaders of Palestine. Every step of the way, Deacon Adrainne and Ben will accompany the group sharing their insights and knowledge gleaned from their four years living and working with the ELCJHL.
See the impact of the schools on the lives of current and former students, worship with the ELCJHL congregations, and meet the living stones of the Holy Land.
Contact: Deacon Adrainne Gray +1 404 663 4172 / adrainne.gray@elca.org
PRICING:
- $3,490 per person based on double occupancy - space is limited
- Land arrangements only: $2,200 (if you wish to book your own flight)
- Single room supplement: $790
- Deposit: $300 per person with registration to secure space
- An additional $1,000 payment is due on or before July 20, 2022
- Balance due on or before October 20, 2022
- Registering by mail? Please enclose a copy of the photo page of your passport and a deposit of $300.00 per person made payable to Elias Tours and mail to: Elias Tours 4941 Chalden Ln NE Marietta, GA 30066
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Download the Registration Form
FLIGHT SCHEDULE:
Flight information will be available 3 months before the return date. Please continue to check the itinerary on the website for updated flight information.
* Flight times, flight numbers, equipment, gates, and seats are subject to change. For the most current information check the airline website.
What is included in the tour
- Airfare from Chicago, IL, And Atlanta, GA - Other cities available
- 9 nights in 4-star hotels (double occupancy)
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Entrance fee to all sites
- All ground transportation in a private tour bus
What is NOT included in the tour
- Gratuities for guide and driver
- Personal expenses
- Lunch
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel Insurance is required and not included in the purchase price. For your convenience, we offer travel insurance through *Travelex Insurance Services. For questions, quotes, or to purchase travel insurance, visit Travelex Insurance or call (800) 228-9792 and use the code 26-0057 for Elias Tours.
This trip differs from any other Holy Land tour because it focuses on the ELCJHL education ministries that Opportunity Palestine supports through donations. While visiting the students, faculty, and leaders of the church and schools, travelers will hear and see firsthand the phenomenal work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land's education ministries. Join us and learn about the good work the schools are doing and the work that is still necessary for the future all while immersed in the context of our biblical stories. Join us for a unique visit to the Holy Land.
DAILY ITINERARY
Educational Tour of the Holy Land
February 13- 23, 2023
Day 1 MONDAY (Feb 13) Depart the US
Day 2 TUESDAY (Feb 14)
Arrive Tel Aviv
Travel to Beit Jala
Meet Head of ELCJHL Schools, Dr. Charlie Haddad, and Bishop Ibrahim (Barhoum) Azar for dinner at the lodging
Lodging: Either Beit Ibrahim or Talitha Kumi Guesthouse
Day 3 WEDNESDAY (Feb 15)
ELCJHL Beit Sahour School
New ELCJHL Diaconal Center on the campus of Church of the Resurrection Beit and Beit Ibrahim Guesthouse, Beit Jala
Environmental Education Center on the campus of Talitha Kumi School
Shepherd’s Field
Lodging: Beit Ibrahim or Talitha Kumi Guesthouse
Day 4 THURSDAY (Feb 16) Bethlehem
ELCJHL Dar al Kalima School visit
Church of the Nativity
Tentative visit to Christmas Lutheran Church, short tour, history
Free time for shopping
Travel to Galilee
Lodging: in Tiberius
Day 5 FRIDAY (Feb 17) Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee and Tiberius sites (Boat Ride, Capernaum, Magdala)
Lodging: In Tiberius
Day 6 SATURDAY (Feb 18)
Travel to Ramallah
ELCJHL School of Hope visit
Possible invitation from Palestine Ministry of Education or other governmental official
Travel to Jerusalem
Lodging: in Jerusalem
Day 7 SUNDAY (Feb 19)
Church at English Speaking Church in Jerusalem or Arabic Speaking
Photo opportunity with Bishop Azar if he is in the Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Holy Sepulcher see the tomb
St. Anne’s, Ecce Homo
Western Wall
Lodging: In Jerusalem
Day 8 MONDAY (Feb 20)
Mount of Olives, (Pater Noster, Ascension Chapel)
ELCJHL’s Al-Mahaba nursery school
Augusta Victoria Tour (shortened version)
Yad Vashem
Lodging: Jerusalem
Day 9 TUESDAY (Feb 21)
Travel to the Jordan border
ELCJHL Baptism Site on the Jordan River
Do walking trail at Baptismal Site
Refreshments/Lunch there at the baptismal site
Travel to Petra.
Lodging: In Petra
Day 10 WEDNESDAY (Feb 22)
Full day tour of Petra
Travel to Amman
Lodging: Amman
Day 11 THURSDAY (Feb 23)
Depart Amman, Jordan to the U.S