In the Light of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

October 18 – 30, 2021

Led by: Bill and Lyn Vanden Bosch In the Light of Jesus is planned as a “’s  pilgrimage” following in the footsteps of Jesus to not only understand the and the early church in their historical, geographical, and cultural context, but to also increase our commitment to wholeheartedly respond to His invitation to “Follow Me.” It will focus on visiting sites in Galilee, along the Jordan Valley, and Jerusalem. Bill and Lyn have been married  for 51 years, and they are retirees after serving more than 38 years in congregational ministry—30 of those years at Oakdale Park Christian Reformed Church. They have been blessed with five children, three of whom are married, and with eight grandchildren.

They have studied twice in Israel at Jerusalem University College and twice under the leadership of Ray VanderLaan, Director of “In the Dust of the Rabbi” ministries and the teacher of the “That the World May Know” video series. In addition, they have been group leaders 16 times in the Holy Land. They have journeyed to the lands of the Bible (Israel, Turkey, and Greece) more than 25 times.

Bill has a Doctor of Ministry Degree in multicultural ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He has done extensive study Register in spiritual disciplines, most by April 1 recently participating in a two-year

to qualify for exploration of the disciplines with $ Pilgrimage Cost: a 100 early the Transforming Center under the

booking direction of Ruth Haley Barton, $4,195 per person, from Chicago, discount! author of Invitation to Solitude and based on double occupancy Silence. Lyn has a BA degree in Register online now at bookings.wittetravel.com teaching from Calvin College, has using booking code 101821VAND led children’s and single parents’ ministries at Oakdale Park Church, Round-trip bus transfers from West Michigan to Chicago and has a wonderful spiritual gift of will be made available at an additional cost of $100 to $160 per person, hospitality. provided there is sufficient interest. Bill and Lyn’s Those transferring from the March 2021 tour (030121VAND) should let Witte Travel & Contact Information: Tours know in writing their intent to join the tour and acceptance of the updated terms 616-826-1927 and conditions. Payments made on 030121VAND will be transferred to this departure. [email protected] CAA & CALL | In the Light of Jesus / Pilgrimage to the Holy Land | October 2021 

October 2021 Wednesday, October 20 Thursday, October 21 Caesarea Maritima, Sepphoris, Mount Arbel, Monday, October 18 Megiddo, Nazareth Magdala, Sea of Galilee Departure from the U.S. We will get an early start this Today we will begin our exploration The big day has arrived! We’ll meet morning, traveling to Caesarea, a of the sites of Jesus’ ministry at the airport in Chicago and check majestic port built by King Herod and in Galilee. Our first stop will be in for the overnight flight. Our the harbor from which Paul sailed the nearby town of Sepphoris, adventure is beginning! (D-in flight) on his first missionary journey. There where Jesus may have worked Tuesday, October 19 we will get our first view of the with his father. We will then visit Mediterranean Sea, which became Mount Arbel, where we will have a Arrive Tel Aviv, Netanya a “water highway” for the early spectacular view of the area where We’ll change planes in Europe and spread of the Good News to the Jesus did over 60% of his ministry. touch down in Tel Aviv. Following Roman Empire. We’ll then continue Following this, we will stop at the customs formalities and baggage to Megiddo, the site referred to first-century synagogue at Magdala, claim, we will meet our tour guide, in Revelation as Armageddon. the traditional hometown of Mary Khalil, and board our motorcoach for Following our visit to Megiddo, Magdalene. We will then have a boat the drive to our hotel in Netanya. we will cross the Jezreel Valley to ride on the Sea of Galilee and view (B-in flight, D) Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. We the “Ancient Boat” at Nof Ginosar will explore this old city, including before settling in at our hotel for a the Church of the three-night stay. (B, D) and a visit to the remains of a “Experienced the Bible in first-century home at the Sisters of a new, deeper way.” – R.H. Nazareth convent. Our evening meal  will be at Restaurant Bayat, near what is traditionally called “Mary’s Well.” (B, D)

 Hiking at Gamla  Bill and Lyn at Ein Gedi  Teaching moment, Caesarea Maritima  Sunrise at Sea of Galilee Cover: Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount, Jerusalem CAA & CALL | In the Light of Jesus / Pilgrimage to the Holy Land | October 2021 

Friday, October 22 Saturday, October 23 Sunday, October 24 Gamla, Susita (Hippos), Korazin, Dan, Caesarea Mount of , Bethsaida, Jordan River, Philippi, Mensa Christi, Bet Shean, Jericho Capernaum, Sea of Galilee Sea of Galilee We begin our Sunday following in We will start the day by going to We plan to begin our day by visiting the footsteps of Jesus by going to Gamla, the center of the Zealot Korazin and then Dan, an Old the Mount of Beatitudes, where we movement. We will follow that with Testament site that became the will reflect on the life of discipleship a stop at Susita, an archeological center of Jeroboam’s Baal cult. that Jesus describes in the Sermon site in the Decapolis near the place Following this, we will travel to on the Mount. Leaving Galilee, we where Jesus healed a demon- Caesarea Philippi (Banias), where will stop at Bet Shean, the largest possessed man. From there we will Jesus asked his disciples, “Who archeological site in the Holy Land. go to Bethsaida, the home of at least do you say I am?” From there we We will then drive down the Jordan four of Jesus’ disciples, followed by will go to Mensa Christi (“The Table River Valley until we stop at the a visit to Capernaum, Jesus’ “home of ”), which commemorates old tel of Jericho and view the town” and his mission headquarters. Christ’s restoration of Peter following 11,000-year-old tower that has been (B, D) the Resurrection. (B, D) discovered there. After this we will visit Herod’s Palace at Jericho and reflect on Christ’s commitment to “seek and save the lost.” We will stop at the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism, where we will renew our commitment to walk as his disciples.  Our Sunday will conclude with a “A rich spiritual time worship service at a wilderness of immersion in sights, overlook, followed by dinner and places, Scripture, and overnight in Jericho. (B, D) the truth of God with us.” – K.J.

CAA & CALL | In the Light of Jesus / Pilgrimage to the Holy Land | October 2021 

Monday, October 25 Tuesday, October 26 Wednesday, October 27 Ein Gedi, Masada, Qumran, Herodium, Bethlehem Jerusalem Dead Sea, Jericho Today we’ll travel through Bethany to In the morning we will head to We will begin our day at Ein Gedi, the Herodium, Herod’s palace near Jerusalem to visit Yad Vashem, an oasis in the wilderness where Bethlehem, where we will examine Israel’s official memorial to the David hid from Saul. From there we the heartache surrounding Jesus’ Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The will travel to Masada, whose summit birth described in Matthew’s . origin of its name is from a Biblical we will reach by cable car. This is the From there, we will visit the Al verse: “And to them will I give in fortress at which the Zealots made Basma Center for adults with special my house and within my walls a their last stand against the Romans. needs. At the center, we will gain memorial and a name (Yad Vashem) We will then visit Qumran, the site insight into the lives of Christians that shall not be cut off.” We will also of the Dead Sea Scrolls community. today in the Holy Land. We will then go to the Israel Museum, where We will conclude our day by taking go to the Shepherds’ Fields, where we will see a model of first-century time to float in the Dead Sea and we will reflect on Luke’s story of Israel at the time of Christ. While then return to Jericho. (B, D) the birth of Jesus. Part of our time there we will tour the Shrine of the in Bethlehem will also include stops Book, which tells the story of the at the Tent of Nations Farm and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Our afternoon Banksy Museum, where we will gain will be free to explore the Old City insights into the current Palestinian of Jerusalem. In the evening, we situation. We will spend the night at hope to have a conversation with a hotel in Bethlehem. (B, D) members of the Parents’ Circle, a fellowship of Jewish and Palestinian  parents who have experienced the violent death of children in the conflict. We will stay the rest of our “My heart and spirit are time in Jerusalem near the Old City. overflowing with what the (B, D) Lord did in my life.” – L.S.

 Synagogue at Capernaum  Qumran  Studying the Bible  Praying at the Western Wall CAA & CALL | In the Light of Jesus / Pilgrimage to the Holy Land | October 2021 Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Thursday, October 28 Friday, October 29 Saturday, October 30 Jerusalem Jerusalem Return to the U.S. We begin our day walking through Following the path of Jesus in his Very early this morning, we’ll the Temple Mount, viewing the suffering, death and resurrection, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa we’ll start our day at the Mount check in for our return flights to Mosque. Following this we will of Olives, descending the road he Chicago. We are certain that your visit the Western Wall, Judaism’s traveled on Palm Sunday. We will time in the Holy Land has been an holiest site. From there we explore pause for times of reflection at inspirational and richly rewarding the City of David excavations and Dominus Flevit and Gethsemane. experience. (B, L-in flight) have an opportunity to walk through Then we will enter the city near Daily itinerary subject to change due Hezekiah’s Tunnel, which ends at St. Anne’s Church, where we will to local circumstances. the Pool of Siloam. Next, we will reflect on Christ’s healing powers visit St. Peter’s in Gallicantu where by the Pool of Bethesda. We Lunches will be at various restaurants we will see a prison that is typical will remember the price he paid or sites, depending on the day’s of the one Jesus might have been for our healing by walking in his itinerary, and will be indicative of in during the night of his arrest “Good Friday” steps from Pilate’s local foods and customs (the average and trial. We then visit the Wohl Judgment Hall and the Lithostrotos, price is $12 per person, which is not Museum, which houses a palatial past the Arch of Ecce Homo, down included in the tour cost). home thought by some to be the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the High Priest’s residence where Jesus Holy Sepulchre. From there we had his trial before the Jewish will walk to the Garden Tomb for a leaders. We will end our day at the worship service during which we Davidson Center’s excavations of will reflect on what we have learned the Southern Stairs just south of the during our pilgrimage together. We Temple Mount. (B, D) will enjoy a farewell dinner at the Cardo Restaurant. (B, D)

Be Ready to Walk and Climb! “The spiritual journey Participants must be prepared to walk an average of of a lifetime.” – J.V. five miles per day over hilly and uneven terrain. It may not be possible to see everything if you have difficulties with this. If you have any concerns or questions about this issue, please talk with Pastor Vanden Bosch.

CAA & CALL | In the Light of Jesus / Pilgrimage to the Holy Land | October 2021