Israel!!

I leave for Israel tomorrow morning at 3 a.m.! For the first two weeks (April 28-May 10) I will be co-hosting a Study Tour of 30+ Briercrest students, faculty, alumni, parents and friends.
The tour will be guided by Yoni Gerrish at the Jerusalem Cornerstone Foundation. My co-host, Don Taylor, agreed to leave me behind in Jerusalem for another week at the tail end of the tour. I'm really looking forward to reliving some old memories and absorbing what Jerusalem has to offer at a more leisurely pace. My one regret is that t. will not be able to join me this time around.
On the advice of a friend, we decided to require students who are taking the tour as a course to work through the Regional Study Guide, Regional Study Maps, and the book, Regions on the Run (James M. Monson, 2006), all produced by Biblical Backgrounds. I completed (most of) the assignment over the weekend. It is a time-consuming process, but extremely effective. I learned a ton, and am much better prepared for the trip than I would otherwise have been. Highly recommended!
I promise to post some pictures when I get back. In the mean time, these photos from our year in Israel back in 2000-2001 will have to do.


Update (6 March 2010): Here are some links to my unfinished blog series on the 2009 Israel Tour:

Israel Trip 1 (April 28-29) - Climate Change
Israel Trip 2a (April 30) - Caesarea
Israel Trip 2b (April 30) - Views from Mt. Carmel
Israel Trip 2c (April 30) - Megiddo
Israel Trip 2d (April 30) - Sepphoris (Zippori)