Dear Friend,
Years ago, when I first started CFOIC Heartland, my main focus was to help Christians understand the settlement movement. At the time, there was no organized program to introduce Christians to the communities of Judea and Samaria and few Christians were aware of the issue. Most Christians were familiar with places such as Hebron, Shiloh, Mt. Gerizim, Mt. Ebal and the Oak Moreh, but they knew them from the pages of the Bible. They had never been there.
If I was going to be successful in educating Christians about the Jews of Judea and Samaria, I had to first get them to come out and visit with us. So I started connecting with local Christian organizations in Jerusalem and offered tours of Judea and Samaria. I usually hopped on the bus myself, guided them at various Biblical sites and then brought them into communities where they were able to meet real people doing real things in modern Israel.
So much has happened since then. From the occasional tour group we have grown to being the single most important resource for Christian visits to Judea and Samaria today. We provide regular information by email and by post to tens of thousands each week and we personally greet hundreds of visitors in Judea and Samaria each year.
But the single most effective way to understand Judea and Samaria from the Biblical to the modern remains an actual visit. And there is no better way to do that than to join one of the CFOIC Heartland’s full-service tours. In just a few weeks, we will be greeting our September group, led by Australian representative Joy Heylen and guided by Stan Goodenough. (There may still be space on this tour if you care to join us.) But our next great tour will take place in March and will be led by our US office director Kim Troup.
Kim has been leading tours to Israel for more than a decade. Danny Ehrlich is an Orthodox Jew and an amazing guide and together, Christian and Jew, they will share a deep understanding of Israel with you. You will see the sites, taste the incredible food, walk the mountains and valleys. But most important, you will meet the people. If you are ready to travel to Israel next March, this is the tour for you!
If you have already been to Israel and would like to come again, this tour will provide experiences you have never had before. But even more importantly, if you have never been to Israel, now is the time to come. And if you have friends, neighbors or relatives that have never been, please share the enclosed tour brochure with them.
Sincerely,
Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office
P.S. There is no better way to understand the messages of Biblical Israel than by a personal visit. I hope you will join us in March 2020. And I hope you will encourage everyone you know to join us as well. Enclosed is a brochure with all the details. If you have any questions or want to register, please phone Kim Troup at 800-647-3344. Next year in Jerusalem!
