JOURNEY THROUGH THE LAND September 19 – October 3, 2021 Led by Jeff & Karen Blamer Join Jeff and Karen Blamer on a fascinating journey through Israel, the land God chose for his people. Come and experience the “greatest story” in the land where it was lived. Meet some of the Blamers’ Palestinian Christian friends and hear their story. Visit the places where Joshua, David, and Hezekiah served God. Experience the desert of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the desert metaphors of the Psalms. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples in Galilee and Jerusalem. Stand on the spot where the church was born on Pentecost and believers were sent to bring the good news to all the world. See the Bible in a new light and return home to serve the God who blessed us beyond imagining with this biblical journey through place and time. Tour Cost* Led by $4,495 per person from Kalamazoo, Jeff & Karen Blamer based on double occupancy The Blamers have traveled to Israel 15 times since 2000 Register online at and they have a passion for bookings.wittetravel.com sharing God’s story. They have use booking code participated in biblical journeys, 091921BLAM studied at Jerusalem University or complete and return the printed registration form. College, and led a number of groups through the Land. Jeff and Karen are eager to help others grow in their faith through this life-changing experience. Jeff spent over 40 years in Christian education, including 26 as principal at Kalamazoo Christian Schools. He recently retired from his position as Vice President of Member Services for Christian Schools International. Karen is a semi-retired family nurse practitioner. * The 2020 tour cost of $4,295 per person from Kalamazoo, based on double occupancy, will be honored for those who transfer to Jeff: (616) 914-4534 | Karen: (269) 312-3447 this tour or register by November 1. This will be reflected as a [email protected] discount. September/October 2021 21, Tuesday Gezer > Azekah > 19, Sunday Maresha > Wilderness > Departure Arad Our big day has arrived—we’re We’ll visit Tel Gezer this on our way to the Land! We’ll morning, once a Canaanite travel by motorcoach from city-state that is now an Israeli Kalamazoo to the Chicago National Park. Then we will O’Hare International Airport to visit Tel Azekah, where David check in for the transatlantic met Goliath. Our third stop for flight. Our adventure is the day will be Tel Maresha, beginning! the site of a Judean city at the time of the First Temple. 20, Monday Before checking into our hotel, Arrive Tel Aviv > Bet and if time permits, we will be Shemesh > Jerusalem introduced to the wilderness (Ein Karem) near Arad. Our headquarters We’ll arrive at Tel Aviv’s Ben for the next two nights is Arad, Gurion Airport this afternoon. a city known for its healthful, Welcome to Israel! We’ll meet dry air. (B, D) our tour guide and board the waiting motorcoach. If time allows, we’ll stop to visit Bet Shemesh, a site connected to Samson and to the Ark of the Covenant, before going to our hotel near Jerusalem (west side, Ein Karem or nearby). Enjoy a welcome dinner. (B-in flight, D) Tour Pace Sea of Galilee ACTIVE – Activity levels vary from day to day. Sightseeing is Church of Nativity, Bethlehem often a brisk walk over distances Herodion of several miles on cobblestone Cover: Judean Desert at sunset streets and uneven ground. 22, Wednesday Arad > Avdat > Mitzpe Ramon > Arad We’ll start our day exploring the Old Testament site of Tel Arad, in the land of Abraham on the border of the Negev and Judean Deserts. Traveling south, we’ll hike the wadi at Avdat (a wadi is a dry riverbed that contains water only during heavy rain) and visit Avdat City. Our final stop for the day is Mitzpe Ramon, and we’ll return to Arad for dinner and overnight. (B, D) 23, Thursday Judean Wilderness > Masada > Ein Gedi > Jericho The day will begin at an 24, Friday 25, Saturday overlook of the Judean Jericho Road > Qumran Bet Shean > Mount Wilderness. Next, the > Jordan River > Dead Arbel > Magdala > wilderness stronghold of Sea > Jericho Tiberias Masada awaits us. It was on We’ll start the day with an early Today we will move to Galilee. this isolated plateau that the hike on the ancient Jericho On the way, we will visit Bet Zealots made their last stand Road to Jericho. We’ll then Shean, an archaeological site against the Romans in the 1st continue to Qumran to see containing the vestiges of a century A.D. We will then visit where the famed Dead Sea once-prosperous Hellenist the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Scrolls were discovered and period. We’ll visit Mount Arbel, where we’ll find Nahal David— make a stop along the Jordan where we’ll have a wonderful David’s Stream—believed to be River. Our day concludes with panorama of the Galilee and the place where David hid from an opportunity to float in the then travel to the first-century Saul. We’ll conclude our day in buoyant, salty water of the town of Magdala. We’ll end Jericho, where we’ll check in at Dead Sea, certain to be a the day in Tiberias, along the our hotel for a two-night stay memorable experience! (B, D) shores of the Sea of Galilee. and have dinner. (B, D) (B, D) Qumran Ein Gedi Nature Reserve Masada Boat on the Sea of Galilee Capernaum 26, Sunday 27, Monday 28, Tuesday Chorazin > Dan > Capernaum > Sea of Megiddo > Mount Caesarea Philippi Galilee > Tabgha > Carmel > Caesarea (Banias) > Gamla > Mount of Beatitudes > Maritima > Bethlehem Tiberias Tiberias Departing Galilee, we’ll stop at Our first visit today is Our morning will begin on Megiddo, the site referred to Chorazin, an archaeological the shore of the lake in in Revelation as Armageddon. site containing the vestiges Capernaum. Jesus chose Then we’ll continue to Mount of a first-century synagogue. this once-bustling town of Carmel, a symbol of beauty in We will then travel north to merchants, farmers, and Biblical times that is associated Dan and Banias at the foot of fishermen as the base for with the Prophets Elijah and Mount Hermon. We will return his Galilean ministry. We will Elisha. Continuing our drive, to the Sea of Galilee by way enjoy a reflective boat ride we’ll visit Caesarea Maritima, of Gamla in the Golan Heights on the Sea of Galilee and a major archaeological site (B, D) see the “Ancient Boat” at on the Mediterranean. Our the Yigal Alon Museum. Our day concludes in Bethlehem, last stops are Tabgha and the where we’ll check in at our Mount of Beatitudes, where hotel for a two-night stay and we’ll consider Jesus’ call to have dinner. (B, D) be kingdom builders and his Sermon on the Mount. Time permitting, we may visit Kursi sometime this day. (B, D) 29, Wednesday 1, Friday Herodion >Shepherds’ Jerusalem Field > Bethlehem This morning, we’ll begin in the This morning we’ll visit the City of David and experience Herodion, King Herod’s palace Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Then we will and final resting place, as well visit the Israel Museum to see as the Shepherds’ fields and a model of Jerusalem in Jesus’ cave. We will then have lunch day and the Shrine of the Book, at the Tent Restaurant. Our where the Dead Sea Scrolls are afternoon will include a visit to housed. We will return to the the Church of Nativity and wall Old City to have lunch and we of separation. (B, L, D) may be able to visit with our Jewish friends. This afternoon, 30, Thursday we’ll visit the Wohl Museum Bethlehem > Jerusalem and experience the Western An interesting day in Wall Tunnels and Plaza. (B, D) Bethlehem awaits us, with 2, Saturday 3, Sunday possible visits to the Tent of Jerusalem Return to the U.S. Nations, Al Basma Center for Our final day in the Land Early this morning, we’ll the Developmentally Disabled, begins as we trace Jesus’ path transfer to Ben Gurion Airport and Bethlehem Bible College to through suffering and death to to check in for our flights hear the story of our Christian resurrection. From the Mount back to Chicago. We will then Palestinian friends. Our day of Olives, we’ll descend the travel by motorcoach back to concludes in Jerusalem, where road he traveled on Palm Kalamazoo. (B, L-in flight) we’ll check in at our hotel for Sunday, pausing at Dominus a three-night stay and have Flevit and Gethsemane, dinner. (B, D) as well as Church of the Daily activities are subject to Holy Sepulchre. We’ll then change at the discretion walk through the Davidson of the trip leaders or due to Center, Tyropian Road, and local circumstances. the Southern Steps. We will end our day with the Garden Old City, Jerusalem Tomb. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a Caesarea Maritima farewell dinner. (B, D) IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING WITTE ASSOCIATES, INC.’s WEBSITE OR SERVICES. TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONSENT TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Access to and use of the services of Witte Associates, *Travel Assistance & Concierge Services are provided by the designated provider listed in the Policy. Inc. dba Witte Travel & Tours (“Witte” and/or “our”) and our website is subject to acceptance of Maximum trip length allowed is 90 days. Coverage and rates may vary by state.