In 2017 Pastor Mullery Jean Pierre, senior pastor of Beraca Baptist Church, visited Israel on a familiarization tour for leading Brooklyn Pastors hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the New York Jewish Community Relations Council. Since 2018 he has led four tours to Israel (including one to Egypt and Jordan) bringing with him over 350 people. in one of his most recent trips he brought faith leaders from across the United States who had never been to Israel because he wanted to share his love of the country with them. During the corona lockdown in NYC his community like many others suffered the loss of many church members due to the pandemic. We checked in on Pastor Mullery to see how he was doing and he responded by saying “I miss Israel”! So we asked him if he might share why continually wants to return to Israel and bring others with him. This is what he wrote:
My Top 10 reasons to take a Holyland Tour:
1. It will Enrich Your Faith: My Faith has been deepened since visiting the Holyland. Walking where Jesus walked andseeing what He and the disciples saw was truly enriching.
2. It will change the way you read and interact with the Bible. Having a visual experience with points of reference along with knowledgeable tour guides helps you to put the Bible in proper context when reading it. Your faith will grow.
3. The People and the Food: Experiencing the culture and the customs of the people was amazing. They pique your interest and the Mediterranean dishes were a wonderful experience.
4. The Marvel of Masada: I encourage everyone to visit Masada and marvel at King Herod’s engineering prowess.
5. Floating on The Dead Sea. Located at the lowest point of the earth, the Dead Sea is so salty and dense that someone like me who can’t swim enjoyed floating on it.
6. Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee: This was a joyous occasion where everyone is singing, dancing and imagining how Jesus walked on this very lake.
7. The Garden of Gethsemane: You can relive Jesus agonizing over what he was about to do for all humanity. It invokes somber emotions which balances out all of the other exciting sites.
8. The Burial Sites of Jesus: There are several sites where they believed that Jesus was buried. This strengthens the Christian’s faith that he was resurrected.
9. The Old City of David. This is most magnificent city on the earth. It’s so rich with artifacts, different Jewish sects, different Christians sects and different Muslim sects all cohabitating in one area.
10. The travel and lodging Accommodations by Travelujah Staff. Travelujah takes care of everything from A-Z. This helps you focus on enjoying the Holyland and having a wonderful experience.