Kiel’s Experience with The Holy Land Trust

On a short 10 day trip to Israel and the surrounding areas, I was fortunate enough to come across The Holy Land Trust.  This organization specializes into trips into the West Bank, offering immersion tours into the culture therein.  Due to my time restrictions, I was only able travel with them for one night into Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Our contact and guide, Tamer, was most helpful and arranged for our entry into The West Bank from Jerusalem and also for us to stay with a Palestinian family inside Bethlehem.  He arranged for all our travels and itineraries as well.  Although the encounter was brief, this family opened their home to my companion and I and showed us a hospitality unlike anything I had ever seen in the form of an endless supply of tea and cookies.  After situating our belongings, we were escorted to The Church of the Nativity for an incredible night that included a surprise visit from Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority!  We were unable to get into the Church itself for the midnight service, but there were thousands of people in the surrounding area and much to be seen and much do do.  Tamer and his contacts provided for our every need and not once did my companion and I feel unwelcome.  Christmas Day, Tamer arranged for us to tour The Church of the Nativity with a guide and we toured parts of Bethlehem as well.  Our travel back into Jerusalem was uneventful and very fast, which would not have been possible without our new friends at The Holy Land Trust. This was an incredible experience made possible by Tamer and The Holy Land trust.  I only wish that we could have stayed longer to partake in one of their longer programs.

Kiel Tilley
Washington, DC