B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included
Journey Overview
Join us as a fellow traveler on Humanity and Hope, our purposeful journey richly highlighted by encounters with sights central to the life, ministry, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Humanity and Hope will offer you a truly unique opportunity to explore a fascinating spectrum of historical sights, theological contexts, and biblical background in the Holy Land. Your journey is sure to deepen your faith and enrich your life as we consider our perspective in light of a distant past that continues to form and shape who we are as Christians today. We will balance our deeply spiritual, sometimes heady religious encounters with spectacular accommodations, excellent food as a window to middle eastern culture past and present, wine tasting, shopping experiences, culture, and history.
Your Hosts for Our Journey
Our hosts for Humanity and Hope will be Pastor James Haack and Pastor Bryan Drebes. Pastor Haack traveled with a group to Israel in January 2024. His experience and insights gained from his January 2024 experience will be a blessing to all travelers who join him on the Humanity and Hope purposeful journey.
When the events of October 7, 2023, erupted into a war in Israel, nearly all Christian groups immediately postponed or cancelled trips to Israel. One undaunted group, led by two Lutheran Church Missouri Synod pastors, traveled in January 2024 as scheduled. His original objective was to travel with a group as a means of preparing to host his own journey to the Holy Land in 2025. To the blessing of the entire group, Pastor Haack graciously stepped forward to lead the January 2024 journey with the Rev. Dr. Kirk Clayton.
As part of leading the journey in January 2024, Pastor Jim shared the responsibility of leading group devotions with Pastor Clayton. Fellow travelers who join Pastor Haack on the Humanity and Hope journey will be blessed by his experience of the power of place. Pastor Jim led a devotion in the church that sits above the ruins of what many believe to be the large house where the wedding of Cana took place as recorded in John 2:1-11. This experience now empowers him to share insights which he recognizes, “…can only come from seeing, standing on, and touching these historical places where the Word of God reveals his grand plan for our salvation.”
Rev. Jim Haack has a genuine heart for ministry and the people of God he serves. He formally prepared for his ordination in the Specific Ministry Program (SMP) at Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, Missouri. Consistent with his heart as a servant leader he demonstrated on his journey to Israel in January 2024, and reflective of many other areas of his ministry, Pastor Haack prepared for his call to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in La Vista, Nebraska in a program designed to meet the needs of the church. The SMP program meets the needs of the church by preparing pastors to serve in specific mission and ministry settings where a pastor with a Master of Divinity degree may not be available.
Pastor Haack competed his SMP certification in May 2015. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College—River Forest, Illinois and a Master of Arts in Education from Concordia University—Seward, Nebraska.
He has been married to his friend, wife, confidant, and travel partner, Kelly since 1991. Pastor Jim and Kelly love being parents to two sons in church work careers and their amazing wives and they adore their first grandchild. They love the companionship of their little furry best friend, Nyssa. They make their home in Omaha, Nebraska. Pastor Jim serves the people of God as one of the pastors at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in La Vista. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University-Chicago, a Masters of Parish Education degree from Concordia-Seward, and was ordained as a Pastor after completing the 4-year Specific Ministry Pastor program through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 2016. of more than three decades, Kelly. Pastor Jim and Kelly are parents to son, Caleb, and grandparents to Olivia Rose. The cute little dog Nyssa fulfills the role of furry best friend and special companion in his life.
Those who join Pastor Jim on his Humanity and Hope journey are sure to be blessed!
Pastor Drebes loves to travel and engage people of other cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds. In the summer of 1999, Pastor Drebes taught English to Chinese middle school teachers in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. In 2017, Pastor Drebes led a group to Germany for a once in a lifetime experience. Those who joined him in Wittenberg, Germany in 2017, celebrated the publication of the 95 Theses by Martin Luther on the very day that momentous event occurred 500 years prior.
Pastor Drebes was born in a town famous as the boyhood home of Mark Twain— Hannibal, Missouri. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Palmyra, Missouri. In 1991, Pastor Drebes enrolled at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska. He later withdrew from college to pursue a full-time career in financial services. In 1994, he returned to Concordia-Seward in 1994 and graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Pastor Drebes attended Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri where he prepared to serve as a parish pastor. After a four-month vicarage at St. John Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Wisconsin, he served as vicar at Bethany Lutheran Church, Overland Park, Kansas.
Pastor Drebes was ordained at his home church in Palmyra, Missouri on August 19, 2001 and was installed as Associate Pastor of Bethany on September 9. He served Bethany Lutheran Church for 14 years before accepting a call to be Senior Pastor at Pacific Hills Lutheran Church—Omaha, Nebraska in 2015.
He and his wife, Cheryl, were married in Overland Park, Kansas and currently reside in Ralston, Nebraska. Pastor’s hobbies include traveling, bowling, baseball, and bicycle riding. He and Cheryl do not have pets; Pastor is horribly allergic to cats.
We depart on our group flight from Chicago (or other major city) to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel.
After our arrival in Israel, we will travel north to the ancient Roman city of Caesarea where we will visit the ruins, including the Roman theater and impressive archaeological park. We will then proceed to nearby Mount Carmel where Elijah the Prophet won a competition with the prophets of Baal and enjoy a beautiful, rooftop panoramic view. If time allows, we will visit Tel Megiddo, site of the ancient city of Megiddo and the Valley of Armageddon, before making our way to our stunningly beautiful hotel—Hotel Magdala—in the Galilee region. D
After a wonderful breakfast, we will visit Magdala´s first century synagogue before continuing to Nazareth where we will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation. We will experience Nazareth Village, built on ancient agricultural land, where life in Galilee in the time of Jesus is reenacted featuring houses, terraced fields, wine, and olive presses. Our day will conclude in Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle; turning water into wine at a wedding. B, D
After breakfast, we will drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to the Yigal Allon museum, where we will see the ancient fishing boat from the 1st century AD (also known as the “Jesus Boat”). After sailing across the Sea of Galilee on a modern wooden boat, we continue to Capernaum, where Jesus lived and started his ministry. In Capernaum, we will see the remnants of Peter’s mother-in-law’s house and the old synagogue where Jesus preached. We will enjoy a special St. Peter fish lunch before continuing to Tabgha, where the miracle of Multiplication of the Fish and Loaves took place. We will visit the Church of Primacy of St. Peter before proceeding to the Mount of Beatitudes (location of the Sermon on the Mount), and time permitting, visit Kursi National Park (Gadara), an archaeological site where according to tradition, Jesus performed the “Miracle of the Swine.” Our day ends at Yardenit, a popular baptismal location in the Jordan River. B,D
Our daily excursion begins with a visit of Korazim where we will see the ruins of a first century town condemned by Jesus. We will also visit the impressive fourth century synagogue before traveling north to the beautiful Tel Dan nature reserve that includes an archaeological site from biblical times. We continue to the nearby Banias (Caesarea Philippi). Here we will see the capital of Galilee in Jesus’ time, the remains of pagan temples, and one of the sources of the Jordan river where Jesus met the apostles. We will then venture to the Golan Heights to see the strategic borders overlooking the Valley of the Tears and learn about Israel’s unique security situation. We will stop at a local winery for a tour and wine tasting before returning to our hotel. B, D
Today, we transition to Jerusalem. After breakfast, we travel south to visit Gideon’s Spring before continuing to Beit Shean, the largest excavated Roman city in the Middle East with fabulous ruins dating to the Roman empire. As we wander among the extensive ruins, including a well-preserved grand amphitheater, our imaginations will be transported to the time of Jesus among the Romans. We continue south to Jericho where we will travel by cable car to enjoy magnificent views on our way to visit the monastery at Mount of Temptations. We continue to Jerusalem where will be welcomed at the beautiful Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem. B, D
Today, we will venture beyond the city walls of Jerusalem. We begin with a tour of the Jewish Quarter where we will walk through the picturesque streets including the Cardo, built during the Byzantine era. We will make our way to the last remaining vestige of the once monumental Second Temple—the Western Wall—where we will soak in the inspirational atmosphere steeped in rich Jewish history. We will navigate the fascinating subterranean Western Wall Tunnels, as a continuation of the open-air Western Wall that reaches segments which are hidden from view. The underground passages present exquisite archeological findings. We can touch the original and special stones that tell the story of the Jewish nation. In the afternoon, we visit the birthplace of Jesus—Bethlehem. We will have the opportunity to visit the fields where the angels announced the birth of the Christ Child to the shepherds. We will visit the Church of the Nativity which stands upon the site where Jesus was born, Mary’s Grotto and St. Jerome’s Cave before we return to central Jerusalem. B, D
After breakfast, we will visit the Mt. of Olives where we can enjoy the magnificent view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the same vantage point as Jesus. We will have the opportunity to learn of Jerusalem’s rich history including many important structures in the city. We will then visit the Garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of the Mt. of Olives, before we continue to Mt. Zion, where you will visit King David’s Tomb, the Upper Room (site of the Last Supper), and church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu. We will enter the Old City through the Lions Gate where we can visit St. Anne’s Church and Pool of Bethesda. We will retrace the steps of Jesus through the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Our walk through the colorful and authentic Arab Markets scattered around the Old City will present an opportunity to practice our negotiating skills by bargaining with the local peddlers. B, D
We depart Jerusalem after breakfast to journey south through the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea. We pass by Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. On our way to Massada we will pass by En Gedi, where David hid from Saul. We will visit the Masada fortress, a UNESCO heritage site and a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, which is situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert, a site of a unique heroic story of Jewish Zealots who chose death over surrendering to the Romans. We will ascend by cable car to visit the excavations of King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much more. We will enjoy the breathtaking views of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea before we descend to make our way to one of the beaches of the Dead Sea to “float” in its heavy, mineral-rich water and cover in the Dead Sea mud to absorb its therapeutic qualities. B, D
Our excursion today begins with an emotional visit to, the holocaust memorial– Yad VaShem Museum—located on the slopes of Har HaZikaron (Mount of Remembrance). We will have the opportunity to contemplate what it means for us to live as Christians today as we encounter the story of the holocaust as experienced by Jewish victims and survivors as told through original artifacts, testimonies, and personal possessions. We will explore the Israel Museum that has an amazing collection of objects and artifacts including a detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple and the Shrine of the Book which holds the ancient Jewish manuscripts, the Dead Sea Scrolls. We return to the Old City of Jerusalem where we will visit the City of David which is the main site where archaeological finds from the First Temple period are found. We continue to a wet or dry (depending on your preference) walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel which is the ancient water system of Jerusalem believed to be from the 8th century BC. We continue to the Davidson Center, an archaeological park where you can see significant findings from the First and Second Temple periods, such as an ancient city street, the steps leading to the Temple, and the First century city walls. We end the day with an emotional visit to the Garden Tomb, walk in the beautiful garden and see the ancient empty tomb. B, D
The memories will indeed last a lifetime. We hope your journey will continue with your new friends. Our journey concludes with the departure of our flight home, or continues with an exciting journey to Egypt and Jordan, for those who choose that option.
Welcome to Cairo – We say goodbye to Israel and hello to Egypt. We will be met at Cairo International Airport by an airport representative who will assist us through customs and arrival formalities. We will then travel to our beautiful, five-star hotel with time to relax before dinner. D
After a wonderful breakfast, we will meet our Egyptologist who will escort us on a full day of exploring the pyramids including the Great Pyramid of Cheops which is the largest of the three main pyramids and only surviving pyramid from the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World. We will also visit the Pyramids of Chephren and Mycerinus as well as the Sphinx. Our spectacular day includes a visit to The Papyrus Institute where we will learn about paper making in the ancient world. After shopping in the Papyrus Museum, perfume factory and jewelry shop, we will return to our hotel. Our leisurely evening will include an option to attend the Sound and Light Show. B, L, D
Today we will visit the Egyptian Museum which is among the most spectacular in the world. We will learn of the historic ancient world with an especially enjoyable to learn about King Tut and his masterpiece golden mask. We will also visit the Citadel of Salah El Din and the Mohamed Ali Mosque. We continue our fascinating day with an experience of Old Coptic Cairo with its concentration of Christian churches from a time when Egypt had a Christian majority. Our leisurely evening will include a dinner cruise on the Nile, buffet and show. B, L, D
The memories will indeed last a lifetime. We hope your journey will continue with your new friends. Our journey to Egypt ends with the departure of our flight home or continues with the optional extension to Jordan.
We say goodbye to Egypt and hello to Jordan. We will be met at Amman International Airport by a representative who will assist our arrival before traveling to the beautiful Bristol Hotel Amman, with time to relax before dinner. D
We will explore the fascinating city of Amman, a city with a glamorous past and present. We will visit the Citadel and the Roman Theater. We will then venture by a city built by Alexander the Great, Jerash, the most well preserved city of the Roman Empire. B, L, D
We depart Amman and travel south to visit the City of Mosaics, Madaba. The most popular and well known of these mosaics is a map of the Jordan and the Holy Land that dates to the sixth century. We will visit Saint George Orthodox Church, highlighted by points of interest and biblical stories. We will ascend Mt. Nebo for a breath taking view of the Holy Land and the Jordan Valley. It is here where Moses is said to have died. We will proceed to Karak via the Kings’ Highway; known as the Silk Road, for the trade of silk, perfume and spices. We will visit a Crusader fortress built by the Templars between 1110 and 1143 CE. We continue south to the city of Petra for dinner and an overnight stay. B, D
After breakfast, we will spend a full day in one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Nabatean red rose city of Petra, a city carved out of rock over two millennia ago. Indian Jones was filmed here. We will access the city through its entrance (Siq) of 1.2 kilometers, and continue to the impressive monumental Treasury (El Khazneh) which was believed to hold countless treasures. Time permitting, we will see the Theatre, Byzantine Church, and Royal Tombs with free time to visit the Petra Museum. We will continue on to our desert camp for dinner and a stay at Wadi Rum. B, L, D
Today we utilize 4 X 4 Jeeps to explore the magnificent Wadi Rum desert. Approximately 200 miles south of Amman, beautiful Wadi Rum is the filming location of many well known movies, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Martian (2015), Aladdin (2019), Star Wars and other movies. After the tour, we return to Amman, to our hotel and a farewell dinner. B, D
The memories will indeed last a lifetime. We hope your journey will continue with your new friends. Our journey concludes with the departure of our flight home.
Purpose
When the tragic events of October 7, 2023, unfolded in Israel followed by a declaration of war on Hamas, the world was reminded once again of the sinful inclination of human nature since the fall, not to mention received a shocking reminder of the human capacity for evil. In the wake of events following October 7, in January 2024, Pastor Haack co-hosted a journey to Israel when a group of 42 became a brave cohort of 10 pilgrims who embarked on a journey to Israel.
Humanity and Hope recognizes the sinful proclivities of human nature as a context and backdrop for experiencing the hope that is Easter. Our Humanity and Hope purposeful journey was created to provide multiple encounters with places sure to deepen your faith and enrich your life as we consider our perspective in light of a distant past and work of God in Christ in history that continues to form and shape who we are as Christians today.
Your beautiful, fascinating journey through Israel will lead you to places you have likely heard about, read about, and discussed with others as part of experiences in Sunday school or Bible study groups. While pictures, videos, and other media may give us a sense of significance of the many places you will see on your journey, as Pastor Haack can share from his direct witness, being in the presence of sights central to the life, ministry, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus offers a unique potential to deepen your life in faith.
This purposeful journey will balance deeply spiritual, sometimes heady religious encounters with spectacular accommodations, excellent food as a window to middle eastern culture past and present, wine tasting, shopping experiences, culture, and history.
Our Philosophy
We hope you will measure the quality of your journey not by the quantity of sights you see, but by the invaluable experiences you absorb.
Balance of stimulating experience, serious reflection…and just plain fun.
One word describes our intention for your journey: balance. We believe each place we visit should relate to whole story, the arc of a narrative. We believe in creating journeys formed and shaped as narratives; journeys that are serious, purposeful, and fulfilling with time to reflect with fellow travelers or alone while providing opportunity for experiences that are just plain fun.
Expert interaction and rich personal encounters
Rather than a trip led by a tour guide trained to disseminate information from a script, we endeavor to seek experts to lead you on a journey who are available as a resource for as much depth as you desire or to leave you to your own reflection.
One beautiful base location
Too often, group travel can leave you feeling like you are part of a herd of a large group of strangers hustled from sight to sight, packing and unpacking every day of your trip. With us you will stay in one beautiful base location that serves as a base for our excursions. Changing hotels as few times as possible during a journey allows greater opportunity to experience people and culture.
Meticulously planned; yet flexible journey
How does a trip become a journey? Carefully selected excursions that form a narrative, staying in one beautiful base location, with time and flexibility for reflection, and activities that are just plain fun.
Cuisine as a delectable complement to culture and conversation
Cuisine, and the wonderful dining experiences we share in an eclectic array of venues, provide a delectable complement to your rich encounters with the culture and the delightful conversation you enjoy with fellow travelers.
Arrangements
All journeys require the same basic arrangements in the operation of a journey. The specific format of this section will need to be determined. The concept here will be to create a page as a template that will apply, with changes of course, that includes the arrangements under headings such as:
Flight Information
Purposeful Journeys will arrange a group flight departing from a major airport, most likely O’Hare International Airport—Chicago, Illinois. Although a group flight may be arranged out of Omaha with a connection through Chicago. While the specific price of the group flight cannot be determined until the flights are booked, based on current market conditions, flights will likely cost around $1,350.
Hotel Accommodations
We will change hotels only once after arriving in Tel Aviv. Arrangements have been made at the Hotel Magdala in the Galilee region. In Jerusalem, our cohort of fellow travelers will be staying at the spectacular Dan Panorama.
Meals
Most meals you are likely to desire are included in this purposeful journey. We believe that dining experiences offer a window into the local culture. Breakfast and Dinner is included each day with only a couple of noted exceptions in the itinerary. Meals provide time for us to relax, take in the culture, and discuss all that we have seen and experienced as fellow travelers that day. See the current, tentative itinerary for details.
Ground Transportation
Transfers to and from the arrival flight into and departing flight from Europe will be provided. Other ground transportation will be provided throughout the journey.
Sightseeing and Events
This purposeful journey includes several premium sight seeing opportunities and tours. As details emerge, specific information will be shared with fellow travelers.
Humanity and Hope Land Only Cost—$4,550
(Save up to $600 if you apply early)
Join us on an extension of this journey to Egypt – $1275
Join us for a further extension to Jordan – $1950
Current Incentives:
- Save $300 with a special journey host discount code
- Save $150 if you apply early
- Save $150 if you choose to settle your balance prior to the due date of your first payment
Your journey includes:
- Taxes and airline surcharges
- Deluxe coach transportation throughout your itinerary
- Double occupancy hotel room ($1,500 single supplement)
- Meals as specified in the final itinerary
- Admission fees as specified in the final itinerary
- Only goods, services, or activities as explicitly included in the General Terms and Conditions.
- Basic Travel Insurance
Your journey does not include:
- Round trip airfare
- Gratuities for service staff, coach driver(s) and guides
- Alcoholic beverages, bottled water, after dinner drinks
- Any goods, services, or activities expressly excluded in the General Terms and Conditions.
- Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance
Remittance Schedule:
- Once your application is approved, you will receive an invoice/statement that reflects your choice for settling your balance. Your first payment will be due approximately 60 days after your application has been approved.
- If you choose to avail yourself of the Pay-in-Full discount, you must settle your balance in full before your first payment is due as reflected on your invoice/statement.
- If you choose to make payments, your payments will be divided into monthly payments with a final payment due as specified on your invoice/statement.
- Payments will become due as specified in your remittance schedule.
- Final payment must be received no later than the date specified on your invoice/statement and remittance schedule.
When approved as a fellow traveler…
…you will receive an invoice and a remittance schedule from Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC along with a link to a password protected page on our website that will offer details and updates about your journey.
General Terms and Conditions
Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC will administer your journey. You must accept the General Terms and Conditions at the time you submit your application. Please refer to the General Terms and Conditions for any applicable additional fees that may apply in certain situations and circumstances such as any deviation from the group flight itinerary or your requirement of a single room.
We cordially invite you to apply to join us as a fellow traveler
Our journey application process has changed. We now offer Cancel-For-Any-Reason (CFAR) travel insurance for about the cost of Basic travel insurance. We no longer collect any deposit at the time you submit your application.
Your application now requires a decision on travel insurance. Your application will not be deemed complete until you have either declined to purchase NTA Travel Connect travel insurance or paid your travel insurance invoice. Once you complete your application form, you will receive a quote from Purposeful Journeys for CFAR travel insurance. Your quote will be about the cost of Basic Travel insurance, a large discount. You will also receive a more detailed explanation about NTA Travel Protect travel insurance. By using this process Purposeful Journeys can guarantee that fellow travelers purchase their CFAR travel insurance policy within the 14-day window allotted for purchasing CFAR travel insurance. You may also decline your purchase of travel insurance.
We are delighted you are taking the step of submitting your application to become a member of a journey with us. We look forward to notifying you of your acceptance as a fellow traveler.