Educational Opportunities Tours

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Holy Land Encounter with Bishop Wilson and the Great Plains Annual Conference | Feb. 21, 2024

10 days
The Holy Land
Starting from $3966* Taxes & Fees Apply

Join Bishop Wilson and the Great Plains Annual Conference for a Holy land Encounter starting at $3,966* from Wichita, Kansas City, Oklahoma City & Denver, or $4,196* from Grand Island, NE, on February 21, 2024. You will see Bethlehem, Herodion, Tent of Nations, dinner with a local Palestinian Christian family, the Church of the Nativity, Shepherds’ Field, Bethlehem Bible College, the Walled Off Hotel, Jericho, St. George’s Monastery, Dead Sea, Qasr el Yahud Baptismal Site, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, the Church of the Loaves and the Fishes, Mount of Beatitudes, Chorazim, Wadi Hamman, Nazareth and much more!

What’s Included

  • All Inclusive Pricing
  • Breakfast and Dinner Daily
  • Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
  • Domestic Airfare
  • Entrance and Program Fees
  • First Class Hotels
  • Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
  • Guided Tours
  • Hotel Gratuities
  • Live Audio Headsets
  • Overseas Airport Transfers
  • Study Guide
  • International Airfare
  • Administrative fee

^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.

† If air purchased through EO.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 February 21 - Depart the USA

Depart the USA

Day 2 February 22 - Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and transfer to Bethlehem for dinner and overnight.

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and transfer to Bethlehem for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 February 23 - Bethlehem – Holy Places and Biblical Discoveries

Visit the Herodion, the winter palace of Herod the Great and his final resting place. Read and discuss the stories of the kings of Israel. The Living Stones and Local Ministries. Visit Tent of Nations, whose mission is to build bridges between people and between people and the land. “We bring different cultures together to develop understanding and promote respect for each other and our shared environment.” Have dinner with a local Palestinian Christian family. Overnight in Bethlehem.

Day 4 February 24 - Bethlehem

Enter the Church of the Nativity, the oldest continuously functioning church in the world. See the cave where tradition holds Jesus was born. Look out on the Shepherds’ Field, where angels spread the Good News. Visit Bethlehem Bible College, where you’ll meet students, professors and other Christians who live in the area and learn about their daily experiences. Then, visit the Walled Off Hotel, where you will be immersed in the story of the separation wall as you explore the Walled Off Hotel’s Gallery and Museum. Through state-of-the-art audio-visual presentations and artwork, you’ll learn the personal stories of those living around the wall. Then, wander through works by the world-renown graffiti artist, Banksy, and other pieces by notable Palestinian artists, including Suliman Mansour and Nail Anani.

Day 5 February 25 - Worship in Bethlehem, Holy Places and Archaeological Discoveries

Travel the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, which twists for miles as it weaves through the Judean mountains and descends below sea level. Jesus traveled the nearby Roman road, the setting of His parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-36). Visit the ruins of ancient Jericho, which Joshua conquered (Josh. 6: 1, 2, 20). From Jericho, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4: 1-11). Make the walk to St. George’s Monastery, often referred to as the “Valley of Death,” as in Psalm 23. Time permitting, you’ll stop briefly at the shores of the Dead Sea. Visit the Qasr el Yahud Baptismal Site near Jericho. Overnight in Tiberias.

Day 6 February 26 - The Galilee of Jesus – Holy Places and Biblical Discoveries

Watch the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee, where fishermen work the waters with nets much as in the time of Jesus. Sail across the waters to explore Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry. Visit the synagogue, which stands on the site where Jesus taught. Recall his teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matt.4:13, 23). At Tabgha, the traditional location for the calling of the disciples and the feeding of the 5,000, you’ll visit the Church of the Loaves and the Fishes (Luke 9:10-17). Visit the peaceful Mount of Beatitudes, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee. On this hill, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Visit Chorazim, the town cursed by Jesus because He did mighty works there, and they “repented not” (Matt. 11: 21). Walk the Wadi Hamman, the road Jesus traveled to Nazareth. Overnight in Tiberias.

Day 7 February 27 - The Galilee of Jesus – More Holy Places and Living Stones

Visit Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus. Tour the remarkable Mar Elias School on a hill that began with the hands and sweat of one man and, through his vision, has blossomed into an educational complex of excellence. Bishop Elias Chacour has made the little village of Ibillin world-famous as a center for peacemaking and learning. Above the city of Haifa is Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated the Baal prophets (1 Kings 18:25). You’ll visit the monastery at the top of the mountain. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8 February 28 - Jerusalem of Gold – Holy Places and Local Ministries

Visit the Princess Basma Hospital and Center for Disabled Children. Stand atop the Mount of Olives as Jesus did and enjoy a remarkable view of the “Golden City” of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock. View the Kidron Valley as you walk the Palm Sunday Path. Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed (Matt.26: 36 - 44). On Mount Zion, visit the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned for a night (Matt. 26: 57 - 65). Stand in the Upper Room, revered as the place of the Last Supper (Mark 14: 12 - 26). Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 9 February 29 - The Old City of Jerusalem – Holy Places and the Living Stones

Begin the day with a visit to Yad Vashem. Continue to the Pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-31), where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle, and sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne. View the site of Herod’s Antonia Fortress (lithostratos), where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23: 1 - 11). Walk the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of the Cross,” and stand in reverence at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Pray at the Western Wall. Visit the Garden Tomb and experience the reality of Resurrection. Dinner in Jerusalem before transitioning to the airport for the return flight.

Day 10 March 1 - Return to USA or begin an extension.

Return to USA or begin an extension.

Enhance Your Journey

Wonders of Petra & The Dead Sea Starting from $1098

March 1-5, 2024 • $1,098*

March 1 – Jerash
This morning, you will journey across the Allenby Bridge on your way to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots. Stand in the grand theatre where an onstage whisper can be heard in the top row. Continue to your hotel to check in for dinner and overnight.

March 2 – Madaba & Mount Nebo
Travel to Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to visit the Church of Saint George with its sixth-century, Byzantine, mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. Continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land (Deut. 34). On a clear day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

March 3 – Petra
Explore the city of Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback or on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a city that was cut into the cliffsides of rose-colored rock. Return to your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.

March 4 – Free Morning at the Dead Sea
Enjoy a free morning at your hotel. Cross the border back into Israel and enjoy dinner in Jerusalem. Afterward, you will travel to the airport in Tel Aviv to begin your journey home.

March 5 – Return to the USA

A minimum number of participants must be reached to operate extensions. Contact us for specifics.
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions

Nile Cruise Extension Starting from $2898

March 1 - 10, 2024 • $2,898*

March 1 – Jerusalem to Egypt
Travel the Caravan Route from Jerusalem through the Sinai. Transfer to your hotel for overnight.

March 2 – St. Catherine’s Monastery
Visit Mount Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery. Stay in Sharm el Sheikh overnight.

March 3 – Free day in Sharm el Sheikh

March 4 – Luxor
Fly from Sharm el Sheikh to Luxor. See the Temple of Luxor, the Karnak Temple, and the Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III. Board your Nile cruise ship and enjoy dinner.

March 5 – Valleys of the Kings & Queens & Esna
Visit the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Sail to Esna and see the Temple of Khnum. Dinner & overnight on board.

March 6 – Edfu
Visit the Edfu Temple. Enjoy lunch on board as you sail to Kom Ombo to visit the Kom Ombo Temple nearby. Dinner & overnight on board.

March 7 – Aswan
See the Temples at Philae, including the Temple of Isis, The High Dam at Aswan, and the Unfinished Obelisk. After exploring Aswan, fly to Cairo to check into your hotel for dinner and overnight.

March 8 – Egyptian Museum, the Great Pyramids & the Sphinx
Depart Aswan by plane and head to Cairo. Visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Continue to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

March 9 – Cairo
Tour the Old City, Citadel of Saladin. View the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali and visit the Abu Serga Church. Enjoy some time to rest as your prepare for your return flight home.

March 10 – Return to the USA

A minimum number of participants must be reached to operate extensions. Contact us for specifics.
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions

Cairo & The Route of The Exodus Starting from $1298

March 1-6, 2024 • $1,298*

March 1 – Jerusalem to Mount Sinai
Travel the Caravan Route from Jerusalem through the Sinai. Transfer to your hotel for overnight.

March 2 – St. Catherine’s Monastery
View Mount Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery. Stay in Sharm el Sheikh overnight.

March 3 – Route of the Exodus
Trace the route of the Exodus along the eastern Sinai coast to Wadi Feiran, Elim & Marah by the Red Sea. Continue to Cairo for dinner and overnight.

March 4 – Memphis, Saqqara, the Great Pyramids & the Sphinx
Tour the rural region of traditional Egyptian farming. Travel as Abraham did to Memphis (Biblical Noph) and on to Saqqara, where you will see the Step Pyramid, the world’s oldest stone structure. See the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

March 5 – Cairo
Explore the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and Pyramids of Giza. Tour the Old City and see the Citadel of Saladin. View the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali and visit the Abu Serga Church. Prepare for your return flight home.

March 6 – Return to the USA

A minimum number of participants must be reached to operate extensions. Contact us for specifics.
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions

Departure Dates

  1. Wednesday, February 21, 2024
    From $3966* Register Now!
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions