Affordable Holy Land Tour are coming from Manila thanks to Emirates airlines and some tour operators in Israel who are offering their local Philippine connection competitive rates to consolidate group packages travelling by air to Dubai then another flight to Amman, Jordan and crossing the border by bus to Israel
Some 23 Filipino Australian Sydneysiders joined the Spiritual Highlights Holy Land Tour under the auspices of Capitol City Foursquare Church (CCFC) of Quezon City led by CCFC Senior Pastor Dr Jun Ferez. Out of the 23 participants, are nine tourists from the Agape Christian Church and another nine from Christian City Church of Prospect, NSW including former PCC-NSW president Atoy Sayas.
The tour group left Manila Monday October 21 aboard Emirates airline, arriving at Dubai the next day and took another Emirates flight to Amman Jordan. The group crossed the Jordan-Israel border in two buses, for the city of Tiberias in Israel..
The group visited towns outlying the Sea of Galilee including Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, and Tabgha with devotion meetings at each stop, Many participants joined public baptism in a resort off the Jordan river whilst six couples reaffirmed their marriage at Cana,
A boat ride at Capernaum gave the group a glimpse of life amongst the Jews at the backdrop of the of the Sea of Galilee during Jesus days. A group devotion even deepened the understanding..
On the third day, the group visited the town of Nazareth including a replica village, Nayon Pilipino style; Next stop was a place was the Mt Carmel highland the supposed biblical site for the ministry of prophet Elisha.
The old seaport of Caesarea once the gateway for Roman shipping marvelled the group with the ruins of an ancient garrison, a hippodrome, and public places..
A change in itinerary saw the group visiting next the awesome ancient fortification of Masada in the Southern district of Israel on top of an isolated plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea. It is now maintained as a tourist attraction and symbol of Jewish patriotism, to remember the infamous Siege of Masada during Roman times.
A dip at the Dead Sea was an obligatory pilgrim’s trophy shortly after a visit at the historic Qumran Caves where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were found some 66 years ago.
At the end of the third day the group then moved to Jerusalem and stayed at the Crowne Plaza
The following day a Friday, the group went to the Mount of Olives, for a fantastic view of sites just outside what remains of Jerusalem wall. The group visited thereafter Garden of Gethsemane, then Bethlehem and the Church of Nativity. A time for group moving devotion and privte prayer at the private garden in Gethsemane, owned by yet another religious order..
One’s eyes are finally opened to the importance of seriousness of the day of Shabbat to the Jewish people with all businesses in Jerusalem grounded virtually to a halt, with few public transport if not absent, elevators on auto-pilot mode, and hotel manned by skeleton staff.
On Friday night before the Sabbath, some 17 members of the tour groupf visited the Christian congregation Israel Philippines Christian New Life Ministries international in Levanda, Tel Aviv under Ps Kezia Garcia. Dr Ferrez spoke and gave encouragement to the group composed mostly of Filipino caregivers in Israel.
On Saturday, the group spent all day visiting sight inside the walls of Jerusalem whish is composed mostly of Palestine and non-Jewish quarters. . Almost nothing move in the Jewish quarter during th Sabbth. They visited the Temple Mount, ruins of the pool of Bethesda and the Via Dolorosa, the Church of Holy Sepulchre, Mout Zion, the Upper Room and the Western Wall, formerly called the Wailing Wall.
The quite incongruous living arrangement between the Jews and the Palestinian residents, inside the walls however did not prevent the tourists to be awed of the sights and places which had become real experience to them Thus time the names were not merely convention of letters to form names of places, events and situations.
At best, they have gained assurance the Bible is alive and deeply penetrating in the pilgrims’ feelings in the light of the Biblical events and holy places visited so far.