Times Have Changed
Jennifer commented on a previous post of mine:
Somehow, though, I'm not sure how "protected" I'd feel in Israel right now.
I just finished watching Ray Vander Laan's "That the World May Know" video series. (If you read this, and this, you'll understand some of the background behind this).
Could such a trip be mounted today? Frequently.
St. Jerome has said, "There are five Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the land of Israel." Israel in Depth will concentrate on studying that "fifth gospel." We will examine the history and concepts contained in the bible in their geographical and cultural settings. This is an educational trip with an intentional focus on significant faith development for participants.
Tour leaders will help participants explore the underlying relationship between the land of Israel and the history of the people living there. Study of specific cultural, archaeological and geographical sites in Israel will help travelers gain new insights into the Bible....
The Reverend Raynard VanderLaan is founder and developer of the Israel In Depth experience. He received his undergraduate degree from Dordt College in 1973, and his Master of Theology degree from Westminster Seminary in 1976. He has done graduate study at the Hebrew University and Yeshiva University in Israel as well as doctoral work at Trinity University.
Rev. VanderLaan is a teacher of Bible at Holland Christian Schools, and he is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church. He is the author of the video series That The World May Know and the novel Echoes of His Presence.
The waiting list for a trip with Rev. VanderLaan is extremely lengthy-approximately ten years. Rev. VanderLaan feels led by God to limit the number of trips he leads. Frankly speaking, it is unlikely that a person signing up at this time will ever by assigned to a trip led by him. Over the years, Rev. VanderLaan has trained a number of others to lead Israel in Depth trips. These leaders are Biblical scholars and teachers in their own right, and have studied independently in Israel.
Kent Dobson joined Ray in one of his tours a few years ago and fell in love with the method, the text and the land. Since that time he has participated in several tours, learning, and now contributing. Kent has just completed his master's degree program from Jerusalem University and has become an exceptional 'rabbi' in his own right. His trips involve considerable hiking and climbing.
Also, we're excited to welcome back Art Tuls, a Bible teacher/historian, leading Israel-in-depth tours. We're excited about Art's return because he offers a powerful tour to Israel without the rigorous hiking and climbing that the other tours require.
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