Jesus Walk Israel Challenge 2021

What You Need to Know

TRAVEL

What airport should I fly into? Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Avivi, Israel. Airport code TLV

Do I need to arrange transportation to and from the airport? If you can find a flight into the Tel Aviv Airport by 11am on April 18th, that would be best to be able to participate in all activities. Our hotel offers shuttle service from the airport to the hotel. If there aren’t any available flights to arrive on that day and before 11am, we recommend flying in a day early and making arrangements to stay at our hotel in Tiberius called the Panorama. The shuttle will take you back to the airport after lunch on April 25th.

What if I can only find a flight that flies in a day early, or leaves a day late than the event dates? As noted above, we encourage you arriving a day early and staying at our hotel in Tiberius. We only have group reservations starting for the night of the 18th, so you’ll need to reserve additional nights. As for departure flights, if you cannot find a flight out after 3:00pm on October 25th, then we recommend staying another night at our hotel and then taking the shuttle to the airport.

What if I want to extend my stay in Israel? There are currently no planned additional tourist visits through the Freedom Challenge. We understand that after traveling all the way to Israel, you may want to visit other historical sites. You are more than welcome to plan this on your own or with some other teammates, but you must handle all additional planning, transportation, and accommodations that are not planned and included with the FC event. The Freedom Challenge will not be responsible for you and your additional plans once you leave the official FC event.

What is it like to travel with all my hiking and camping gear? You will be traveling with all/most of your hiking and camping gear. Because of this, we recommend you pack additional luggage in a carry on or checked luggage, and then check your backpack as its own bag. To keep you backpack straps from tearing or anything from being lost, we recommend you putting your backpack in travel cover of some kind. You can buy an actual backpack travel cover, or a simple drawstring laundry bag would do.

Where will my personal luggage be stored while I am camping? All personal items not needed during the one night of camping will be safely stored at the OM Israel offices.

Will I need to acquire a travel visa? Yes, upon arrival at the airport you will apply for a tourist visa. Closer to the departure dates we will send you detailed instructions on what to tell customs and how to fill out your forms. A tourist visa is free.

What kind of travel insurance should I get? It is required for you to get travel insurance and send FC proof of purchase/ insurance prior to departure. Because of the nature of the event, you can purchase travel insurance we recommend for OM mission trips HERE through VolunteerCard. . We also recommend you purchase travel insurance for your flights, but it is not required.

Where will I be lodging during the challenge? We will be staying at the Panorama Hotel in Tiberius.

Will there be time to do some site seeing? The day after the hike we will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. During your hikes you will be able to see historical site along the route. But any sites that are off trail or outside of Nazareth to Sea of Galilee, we will not be planning to see. As noted above, you are welcome to extend your visit to see more of Israel at your own expense and planning.

TRAIL

What kind of terrain will we be hiking in? The trail from Nazareth to Sea of Galilee has been taken for thousands of years as a trade route. Because of this, the trail itself is not too difficult and was made to be the easiest way from point A to point B. Because Nazareth is higher in elevation, you will be hiking mostly downhill. Some of the trail will be in Israel wilderness, which is like a desert with some forest aspects. These parts of the trail will be mostly gravel, sand, or rock. Other parts of the trail will be walk through towns and communities, on pavement and through busy and civilized areas.

What will happen in case of an emergency on the trail? Due to us hiking a trade route, we will never be more than an hour away from civilization and almost always in cell range to make emergency calls. If an emergency occurs when we are more in the wilderness, flight rescue could be possible. But most likely we will be able to quickly get medical attention and transport. We require you to purchase travel insurance, and we will make sure to have a copy of your insurance on hand, but we also ask you keep your information with you while backpacking. In case of an emergency we will immediately contact your emergency contact and keep them updated as we process your injury.

What will we do for food? For water? Again, because we will pass through towns and civilized areas at least once a day, we will actually buy our lunches along the way. As of now, we are not planning to do any camp stove meals. We plan to buy meals while in the village. That way you can pack light when it comes to food. We recommend you bring any preferred hiking snacks you may have ahead of time, but all other meals will be provided along the route. Before departing on your hike, YOU WILL BE GIVEN AN ENEVELOP OF LOCAL CURRENCY TO MANGE AND USE FOR YOUR LUNCHES ON THE TRAIL. On the night we stay on the beach, the OM and prayer team will meet up with us for a BBQ picnic. As for as water, just as the food, you will purchase water bottles along the way which is the safest drinking water along the route. We do not plan to do any water filtering from streams or natural water sources.

What will sleeping arrangements be like? Other than one night, you will be sleeping at the hotel. For the one night we camp on the beach, as specified in the gear list, you will need a sleeping pad and sleeping bag. We then we coordinate to bring enough tents for people to share. Or you can choose to sleep under the star, like they did in ancient times. We will not need to hike with the camping gear, the prayer team will bring it to us when they meet us for the BBQ on the beach.

What will it be like to use the restroom on this trail? When you are passing through a town, you will likely be able to find a gas station or public establishment to use the rest room. But when hiking in the wilderness, you will have to go out on the trail. For urinating, we recommending getting a device like the She Wee. For a bowel movement, you will need to dig a four-inch- deep hole to relieve in, and then burry after done. You are responsible to bring toilet paper for yourself and a bag in which you can carry out used toilet paper to dispose of later.

Are there any wildlife to be concerned about? The wildlife in the Galilee is not particularly dangerous. During warm weather, be on the lookout for the occasional snake or scorpion.

What is the weather like? Nazareth’s average October weather is a high of 73F and lows of 47F. Sea of Galilee's average October weather is a high if 84F and low if 62F. We will be hiking during the end of Israel’s spring and closing out their rainy season. There is a possibility of some rain. But overall, it will be warmer weather with comfortable nights. Please keep an eye on the weather as we approach our departure dates.

Are there any recommended resources that will help prepare me for this trail? We recommend reading the book “Walking the Jesus Trail: Nazareth to Sea of Galilee”, by Anna Ditaman. It is very similar to the trail we will be taking and give a good understanding of what to expect.

Will there be cellular service where we are hiking? As noted above, we will almost always be in cell range. Although, to get the full experience, we recommend you turn your phone to airplane mode and only use it for music, the camera, and emergencies. We discourage using social media, calling, or texting on the trail unless absolutely necessary. If you choose not to bring your phone, our guides will be able to let you use theirs in case of an emergency, or our FC team will contact the guides in case your family is trying to contact you. With most carriers you can purchase a 30- day SIM card to use internationally, or make sure to update your plan for international use with your service provider before arriving.

GEAR AND TRAINING

What gear do I need to bring? Please see our gear list attached to your welcome packet for an extensive list.

What is the estimate weight of our backpacks? Because you do not need to carry your camping gear, and we will be getting our meals along the way, your heaviest thing will be water and snacks. Your pack shouldn’t ever weigh more than 20lbs.

Will any gear be provided or available to rent? Unfortunately, there will be no gear available to rent. There will also be no group gear provided. From what our Israel guide has communicated, it is hard to find any stores that will rent you gear in Israel. There are a lot of outdoor stores where supplies can be bought, but not rented. So, you will need to provide most of your camping gear. We will work with everyone upon registration to help coordinate group camping gear, like tents, since not everyone will need to bring a tent and we only need a few stoves. If you do not want to have to purchase all the gear needed, we recommend you borrowing from friends or renting from a domestic outdoor retailer and traveling with it.

Can I buy any supplies once I arrive? Yes. There are many outdoor stores in the area where we will be staying the first day. If after our gear check you realize you are missing or in need of something, you will be able to buy things there (please note it will be more expensive than in the states). We do not recommend you planning to buy a lot if items upon arrival for time sake and if things happen to not be available. Airlines do not allow you to travel with fuel, so we will buy fuel for the group stoves upon arrival to Israel.

How should I be training for this trail? Please see our training guide attached to your Welcome Packet. Overall, you will need to train your back, shoulders, and legs for carrying some weight on your back for 10 miles at a time. Also training your core and strengthening your ankles and knees due to being on a constant decline downhill, as well as hiking on loose gravel. You will also want to increase your endurance and get use to walking long distances for multiple consecutive days.

CULTURE/ COMMUNITIES

What is the people demographic for the communities we will be hiking through? When hiking from Nazareth to Galilee you will encounter a lot of different communities and people groups. From Jews, Muslims, Arabs, and more. Each portion offering the opportunity to learn and meet people of different religions and backgrounds. Overall, the Jesus trail “pilgrims” have always noted the extreme hospitality and kindness the locals have shown along the way, to those who treat the trail and people with respect.

Are there any safety concerns when hiking/ passing through the different communities and wilderness areas? While the media often portrays Israel and Palestine as perpetual hotspots of violence, the tourist areas of the region are generally very safe with a high level of security. Tourists have not ordinarily been targets of violence in the region. Crime and violence levels in major cities are much lower in Israel than in major American cities. Murder, rape and theft rates in Israel are similar to rates in Germany, which has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe. A male guide will be on each team, as well as someone who can speak the local languages. There are no major safety concerns as far as hiking in the wilderness. There is one area you may hike/ scale down, called the Arbel Cliffs. If you have a fear of heights, it may be a little worrisome, but it is totally doable and safe while listening to your guide’s instructions.

What kind of ministry opportunities will we have while hiking? On top of being able to simply minister as you go, to the people you meet and come across on the trail and in the communities, OM Israel has some partnership with churches and ministries in the areas you will pass through that you will be able to serve and minister with. During your hike, you will stop at biblically historical sites where you will hopefully minster to you! More specifics on what you will be doing with the OM partners will be sent closer to the event date.