19 leave for Holy Land tour today

 A GROUP of Papua New Guineans will leave for a 10-day organised trip to Holy Land, Israel, today.

Air Niugini   presented travelling bags to the members of the Gutnius Lutheran church after their second briefing on the trip.

The group will fly to Israel via Singapore and Sri Lanka.

The group comprised 19 people from Enga province who are members of the Gutnius Lutheran church in Wabag, Kimbe and Port Moresby.

They will be visiting Israel for the first time.

Air Niugini’s deputy general manager for marketing Dominic Kaumu said the arrangement was made in partnership with Royal Jordanian Airlines, Sri Lanka Airlines and the general sales agents, Jet Wing Holidays in Colombo.

 “This is the first time for Air Niugini to market a product beyond its destinations and Air Niugini is pleased to make it possible for more Papua New Guineans, especially Christians, to visit the Holy Land,” he said.     

The 10-day tour will take the group to some very interesting sites in Israel including the birth place of Jesus in Bethlehem and Cana in Galilee where Jesus’ performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. 

They will visit Nazareth and take a boatride across the Sea of Galilee as taken by Jesus and his disciples. 

The group will call in at Mt Zion, Mt of Olives where Jesus ascended to heaven and in Garden of Gethsamane, where he spent the night before his betrayal. 

They will also visit Jericho to see and experience for themselves the Dead Sea. 

There is a chance to float in the sea as it is the saltiest and the lowest place in the world.  

The members of the Lutheran church will also visit Mount of Temptation where Jesus was tempted by the evil one after he returned from the wilderness where he was for forty days. 

Also in Jericho, the group will see the Sycamore tree, which short Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus whilst he was passing Jericho.

A member of the group, Deputy Police Commissioner Fred Yakasa, praised Air Niugini for their opportunity to visit Israel. 

He said the group was looking forward to the trip.

The second Air Niugini organised Holy Land tour promotion will be at the end of this month with the trip taking place next month.