I am leaving May 2 for Jordan and Israel with 16 students and friends of GBC. We will fly from Chicago to Amman, Jordan and begin the tour by visiting sites like Jeresh, Madaba and Petra. We will cross the border into Israel on May 6 and will tour in Galilee before traveling to the Negev (the southern desert). We will visit Arad, Masada, En Gedi and Qumran before taking part in an archaeology experience at Tamar, an Israelite city in the Negev. We will finish the trip in Jerusalem, visiting the Old City, Western Wall, Southern Excavations, City of David, the Pool of Siloam, and many other sites where Jesus taught. We will leave from Amman on May 16, arriving back at GBC in the early evening.
I should be able to update my website from most of the hotels on this trip, so keep an eye on my website, Reading Acts. I will be able to post some pictures “from the field” and will keep you up-to-date on our progress. It is possible to subscribe to the blog for an email notification of updates. Please feel free to pass this URL to friends or family who might like to follow the trip. 
We are planning another trip leaving December 31, and returning Jan 12, with a possible “add-on” to Jordan (Petra, Madaba, Jeresh, etc). This trip will be designed for an older group (rather than an adventurous college student!) The itinerary will be similar and we will include the archaeology experience at Tamar. As I said in the Truth article, this tour is designed to get in touch with the history and archaeology of the Bible. While we will visit some of the major tourist sites in Jerusalem and Galilee, we will also visit many sites which are not a part of most tours (Arad, Tamar, for example).
If you have questions about the January 2012 trip, feel free to email me. I have a tentative itinerary prepared and can answer any questions about costs via email. I have included some helpful links below. I look forward to hearing from you. I hope you enjoy a “virtual tour” of Israel and Jordan over the next two weeks!
Truth Magazine Article on the 2012 Trip
Grand Rapids Press Article on GBC at Tamar
Phillip J. Long
Associate Professor of Bible
Grace Bible College
1011 Aldon SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49509
(616) 261-8568