This trip was punctuated with excellence! From the superb teaching that brings the scriptures to life to the great food, accommodations and transportation arrangements, this was a spiritual experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. Steve, Mona and Dan know how to put the hay down where this ol' horse can get to it!

Their logistics of moving around the country to the various sites, parks and museums were seamless, evidence of a well planned event.

Through them I came home with a love for the land and a deep felt appreciation for the people of Israel, their culture and history.

They gave their utmost which I believe everyone on the tour recognized and appreciated. Chris and I developed a heart full of affection for the Lancaster's. They are truly blessed with the gift of teaching and leading a tour such as this. We've come home to dig for dollars in the budget so we can participate in another one!

Thanks for all of your pre-trip help too! Your communications helped us to be well prepared. All the best to you and the others at FFOZ.

Shalom,
Courtney Walker

Courtney Walker | November 13, 2007 4:53 PM

Boaz, thank you for your prayers during our trip to Israel. On my first trip 9 years ago with a Christian group the Lord impressed upon me to search into my Hebrew roots of Christianity and in doing so I learned Truth which brought me into the Messianic Jewish movement.

On this trip the Land became so much alive to me. Thanks to Steve and the knowledge he shared I was able to see the places in the Bible clearer and Daniel brought insight into the happenings at different sites.

I have connected to the Land and it has become my home. What a fantastic journey and one that will always be in my heart. I would love to do it again in the future the Father willing.

Thank you again for all the hard work of FFOZ.

May the Lord bless and keep you,
Sharon

Sharon | November 13, 2007 4:55 PM

Where to start with the description of the most awesone 2 weeks of my life. I have always thought I had a love for Israel now I definitely know I HAVE A LOVE for Israel. Steve, Mona and Dan opened up the richness of the country to us with their teachings and reading of the scriptures that related to the areas we were visiting. The 42 of us started out as strangers in a strange land and quickly found a bond that will last in my memories forever.
Just to have the chance to pray in the same places that our forefathers prayed was beyond words. There is a phrase that says "from my lips to G-ds ears". In Israel it seemed that the words didn't leave my lips before I knew G-d heard it.

We walked cisterns, underground pathways and hills to see first hand the true Israel and not the tourist Israel. I learned more in that 2 weeks than I could ever imagined I would.

So to all of my new friends there is only one thing to say:
Hu-ah ya'll!!!!!! And Shalom

pat wishoet | November 15, 2007 7:03 PM

The "study tour" was just that -- serious study -- of the land -- every part of the land. Up and down mountain slopes, sloshing through Hezekiah's tunnel and other underground water systems, sailing on Lake Galilee, shopping in the Old City and Ben Yehuda Street, praying at lots of places including the southern steps of the temple and the Wall. This trip was a life-changing experience. It has given me a renewed love of the people, the land and the Scriptures. Daniel, Steven and Mona are the best. Our group had no worries at all; we were taken care of so well.

Lord willing, I'm going again next year with my daughter. We've already signed up!!

Thanks to FFOZ for putting this together. It was an incredible amount of work I'm sure, but you can't put a value on the lives it has touched and changed.

Jeri Murray

Jeri Murray | November 16, 2007 7:56 AM

I really can't add any more than what's been said. The combination of the Lancaster's wealth of knowledge is incomparable. This trip is highly recommended by this Texas family, and oh yeah....get in shape before you go. Steve will take you to "new heights" you've never experienced. Thanks to all the friendly folks that came from all over the nation, to make this so memorable. Oh yeah...Mona, thanks for your kind ways and friendship at the back of the "slinky"!! Steve, you're a blessed man!! Daniel, your love for the Lord shows continuously.

42 OUT!!!! hoooyaaaa!!!!!

Harris Kubos | November 19, 2007 10:39 AM

I had an absolutely great and blessed time. The teaching was wonderful and the trip package was more that I ever expected. I look forward to spending time in Israel again, soon.

Linda Combs | November 19, 2007 10:44 AM

This tour was so wonderful for me. I'm so thankful that I was allowed to go to Israel, the land of our forefathers, for my Bar Mitzvah. The timing of being able to go this year was just perfect, and we were very blessed to have such gifted tour guides as the Lancasters. The fellowship of the other folks on the tour was a blessing as well. I really enjoyed our conversations over dinner.
I also think that the name of the tour, "Walking the Ancient Paths", was so fitting. The torah and its way of life seemed so very much alive there, as we walked the paths that our forefathers and our Messiah walked so long ago. My life has been changed; the Scriptures have become incredibly more real to me, and my devotion has deepened as a result of this 'pilgrimage' to the promised land. I feel so much more connected to the people and the land of Israel.
I am also thankful that I was able to share this experience with my dad, who also came on the tour. I'm glad that we will have those memories in years to come. I think all of the people who went on this journey have come away with lots of memories and new knowledge. I hope and pray that I will be enabled to travel to Israel again in the future. To FFOZ, Shalom, and keep up the good work.
Nick Parsons

Nick Parsons | November 21, 2007 2:02 PM

The LORD has touched all of us on this trip. What a wonderful group of people.
I miss all of you, my life will never be the same.
The passion Steve and Daniel have for teaching is catching and I'm sure we will all be spreading the light for the rest of our lives.
As I sit and try to organize 590 pictures, 3 hrs of video clips, the field book, maps, notes and of course Scriptures, I'm reliving the trip over and over.
I encourage anyone who has the means to sign up.
Thanks for all of your prayers and pray for Peace in Israel
Dennis 23 Hu-ya

Dennis P pfabe | November 25, 2007 5:48 PM

I had a friend named Lynne who passed away earlier this year after a duel with cancer. She was a programmer with the company that developed the software we use where I work. Lynne was my go-to when I couldn't figure out a problem with the system. Funny, helpful, kind and very smart. I never met her in person; for nine years we only talked on the phone and exchanged emails. I used to jokingly say that she was "my best friend that I never met". About a year ago was the last time we talked and she was doing well. A few months later she was gone. So, you may be asking, "What does this have to do with a blog about the FFOZ trip to Israel?" Well, like Lynne, Israel was my favorite place to where I'd never been. In the same way that I regret not ever taking the opportunity to greet her in person, I am thankful that I have now seen Israel in person. We all know the added dimension when we finally meet someone after knowing about them; as the saying goes "we see the face behind the voice." Having spent two wonderful weeks in Israel, I have been blessed with an opportunity to see the Land behind the Word. There is no gauge in our lives that tells how much time is left. Tours like this might not always be happening in the future given the tension in the Middle East. If you haven't been to Israel yet, start looking for your opportunity now. It may not change your life, but it will surely add a dimension you didn't know was missing.

Brian Parsons | November 26, 2007 9:07 AM