Make Your Dream Come True Visiting the Holy Land is a dream come true for most Christians especially those of us from Trinidad and Tobago. To be able to walk in Jesus’ footsteps and pray where Jesus prayed is awe inspiring as well as easy and cost effective – thanks to a fellow Trini who is more than willing to host you.

About Your Host Resa Gooding was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago in the city of St. Joseph. She moved to Israel in 2007. Currently running her own marketing agency serving start up companies in the hi-tech sector Resa has decided to extend her services to host Caribbean nationals who have been dying to visit the Holy Land but are most times on a budget.

Her desire is to help make the seemingly impossible, possible, for those who’ve been dreaming of the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. So pack your bags, leave your misgivings about any Israeli/Palestinian conflicts and come and have an experience that you will never forget.

What To Expect Israel is the Holy Land; a country where you will be able to see the bible come to life as you take a tour through the scriptures. When is the best time to come? One of the most beautiful times to visit the Holy land is right after Easter holiday. You also may want to consider the weather and cost of flight tickets. It is cheaper to travel outside of the major Jewish holidays of Passover (Apr) and Rosh Hashanah (Sept/Oct). From November to March Israel has cooler temperatures and some rain. June to August are very warm and ticket prices tend be higher as well during this time.

Am I Fit Enough? Visiting the major sites in the Holy Land usually involves a lot of walking each day. The terrain is often stony and irregular, and the weather is usually hot. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you will be in a fully air-conditioned apartment and car which are very comfortable, and the pace is usually not too brisk. If you need to rest, you can skip a site (or an entire day). To prepare for the trip, you should do some walking during the two months before departure. Get used to walking 800 metres (half a mile) at a time. If you are buying new shoes for the trip, wear them for a few weeks before departure so they are broken in and you are comfortable walking in them. If in doubt about your fitness, show the proposed itinerary to your doctor.

Is It Safe? It’s usually the bad news that gets reported. Daily life in the Middle East (with the obvious exception of war zones) rarely involves bombs and bullets. Terrorist incidents are rare. Airport security for flights to and from the Middle East is very thorough (especially for flights leaving Israel). Governments in the area take the safety of visitors very seriously. There is probably more risk in driving from home to the airport than while on pilgrimage. Upon your arrival and departure your host will meet you upon exiting customs and transportation will be awaiting to take you to the apartment.

10 Day Itinerary We have prepared a 10 Day Itinerary that is pretty flexible and can be changed at any time to suit your preferences. We have included “rest” periods in between to allow you time not only to recuperate from more gruelling days but to truly enjoy and soak up the experience of being in the Holy Land. It is highly recommended to plan your flight that allows you to travel out of London or New York on Saturday night so you arrive early Sunday morning. *Most flights do not operate between Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 6pm in order to observe Shabbat – the Jewish day of rest. Also please note your passport MUST be valid for at least 6 months in order to board the plane to Israel. You will be denied access at the airport even though you might have been able to travel on it to New York or London.

It is highly recommended to plan your flight that allows you to travel out of London or New York on Saturday night so you arrive early Sunday morning. *Most flights do not operate between Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 6pm in order to observe Shabbat – the Jewish day of rest.

Also please note your passport MUST be valid for at least 6 months in order to board the plane to Israel. You will be denied access at the airport even though you might have been able to travel on it to New York or London.

DAY 1 Sunday Arrival and Orientation of Neighborhood

DAY 1 - Sunday Arrival and Orientation of Neighbourhood Welcome to Israel, upon arrival to Ben Gurion International Airport, you will be greeted by your host, Resa and then connected to the transport that will take you to the apartment – 10 mins from the airport. The apartment is a 3-bedroom apartment with 1.5 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen, living room and balcony. It is situated in the suburban neighbourhood of Yehud located 15 mins from Tel Aviv and 45 mins from Jerusalem. The neighbourhood is fully equipped with a Mall, Post Office for changing money, restaurants and supermarkets all in walking distance.

DAY 2 Monday Jerusalem

DAY 2 - Monday Jerusalem We ascend the Mt. of Olives to enjoy a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem! Continue at the famous "Wailing" Wall –the last remnants of the Jewish Temple. Today different Jews from all over the world come here to worship. We then follow the footsteps of Jesus’s crucifixion through the stations of the Via Dolorosa, leading us through the colorful "Suq" (Bazaar) of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where we will see the Hill of Calvary (Golgotha) and the empty Tomb of Jesus. We exit the Old City through the Zion Gate to visit the "Upper Room" (also known as the Cenacle or Caenaculum) where Jesus and his disciples had the Last Supper together, King David's Tomb. Return to accommodation.

DAY 3 Tuesday Rest in the morning; Tel Aviv in the afternoon

DAY 3 – Tuesday Rest in the morning; Tel Aviv in the afternoon After a full day of walking in Jerusalem we will rest in the morning. In the afternoon we will take a lovely stroll through some of the Tel Aviv popular places such as Sarona.

DAY 4 Wednesday Latrun, Mini Israel; Live Show in the Evening

DAY 4 – Wednesday Latrun, Mini Israel; Live Show in the Evening We have a late morning start where we visit Latrun, a Monastery for priests which is basically the equivalent of Mount St. Benedict in Trinidad. We then go 5 mins over to Mini Israel where you can get a view of the entire country in one glance. We return to the apartment, rest and get ready for a live show and dinner at Mooni’s Restaurant in Tel Aviv where we enjoy a mixed of popular oldies songs in 5 different languages. If you can sing get ready to be called up to serenade the diners 

DAY 5 Thursday Haifa, Nazareth

DAY 5 – Thursday Haifa, Nazareth We have an early morning start as we begin a 2 hour drive to the North of Israel. Here we start off by visiting a Catholic Primary and Secondary school run by the Franciscan brothers and mostly attended by the Arab citizens of Israel. We then travel to Nazareth where we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and the Greek-Orthodox St. Gabriel Church near Mary's Well. We then retire for the night at a Tzimmer (popular cabins for vacationers) for the night. *Please budget around USD 35 per person for this night in the North

DAY 6 Friday Lake of Galilee, Jordan River, Church of Beatitudes, Organic Farm

DAY 6 – Friday Lake of Galilee, Jordan River, Church of Beatitudes, Organic Farm Today we visit the places where Jesus acted around the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop will be at the Yardenit Baptismal Site on the Holy River Jordan. We will then have lunch on the Sea of Galilee and enjoy the famous St. Peter’s Fish which Jesus served. In the afternoon we visit Capernaum, with Peters House and the famous Synagogue, enjoy the view from Mt. of the Beatitudes, where the "Sermon on the Mount" was given, and the reconstructed church at Tabgha, where tradition puts the miracle of the Bread and The Fish. We then end the day at an Organic farm to learn a bit about Israel’s Agricultural history and a short presentation on eating to preserve our lives and then return to the apartment

DAY 7 Saturday Rest in the day / Mass in the evening / Stroll in Jaffa

DAY 7 – Saturday Rest in the day / Mass in the evening/ Stroll in Jaffa Today we rest and prepare ourselves for Holy Mass in the evening. After Mass we take a stroll through Jaffa and check out the scenery.

DAY 8 Sunday Masada / Dead Sea

DAY 8 – Sunday Masada / Dead Sea We drive to the Judean Desert and climb (by cable-car…) the famous cliff-fortress of Masada, where Herod the Great built a magnificent palace in the middle of the desert. Masada was then used as a fortress by the Jewish "Zealots" who fought, few against many, against the pagan Roman Empire. Their heroic struggle became a symbol for the modern State of Israel. We will not miss, of course, some floating (not swimming!) on the Dead Sea, the deepest point on earth!

DAY 9 Monday Rest in the Morning / Tel Aviv Museums / Jaffa DAY 9 – Monday Rest in the morning; Afternoon - Tel Aviv Museums / Jaffa DAY 9 Monday Rest in the Morning / Tel Aviv Museums / Jaffa

DAY 9 – Monday Rest in the morning; Afternoon - Tel Aviv Museums / Jaffa Here we take it easy in the morning as we gear up to visit some of Israel’s museums such as Independence House. We then take a stroll through the infamous Jaffa Flea market which transforms itself into a haven of bars and restaurants when the sun sets.

DAY 10 Tuesday Transfer to the airport

DAY 10 – Tuesday Transfer to the airport Your host will escort you with the transportation that will pick you up at the apartment and take you to the airport for your return flight. We know you would have thoroughly enjoyed your stay here in Israel so do not miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

What Will This Trip Cost You? For 10 days – Only USD 1200 per person (up to 4 persons)   Price Includes: Accommodation at private apartment Transportation from airport to residence upon arrival and departure Breakfast items Transportation and Tours for 10 days Entrance Fees to historical sites and places of interest where applicable Price does not include: Flight Tickets Lunch & Dinner (Items can be bought from grocery to be prepared at residence but some times we will eat out) *Please budget at least USD 300 per person for lunch/dinners eaten outside during these 10 days *A contribution of USD 150 per person will be collected upon arrival to offset any miscellaneous costs e.g. purchasing groceries to prepare lunch/ dinner, tips to service men and women when you go out and miscellaneous expenses handled by the host. One night in a Tzimmer in the North *Please budget at least USD 35 per person for this night Entertainment Payment can be made in 3 installments but must be fully made at least 2 weeks prior to arrival.

Contact For further information or questions please do not hesitate to contact Resa Gooding E: resagooding@gmail.com T: (972) 52 881 7500 Can’t wait to see you in the Holy Land! I promise you an unforgettable experience 