Walking in Jesus’ footsteps: Economy Travel and Tours

When he isn’t busy churning out words, longtime Asheville Citizen-Times columnist Bob Terrell has another passion: taking church groups to Israel. He’s led 28 such tours, and he’s planning another one for April of 2010.

Journey to Jerusalem: Bob Terrell (far left) and one of the 28 groups he’s taken on tours through Israel, Palestine and the Middle East, with Jerusalem in the background. Photo courtesy Bob Terrell

“I first went in 1973” when invited by a friend, he recalls, “and I really fell in love with the place. It’s an absolutely beautiful country.”

Beyond that, however, Terrell says that as a Christian, he finds special significance in many of the sites.

“We begin in the garden of Gethsemane; we go to the Mount of Olives, to Bethlehem, Jericho, all around Jerusalem, to the Dead Sea,” he explains. “By the time we end near the tomb where the stone was rolled away, many of the people in the tour, they’re speechless. It’s incredibly powerful.

“It’s the greatest thing a Christian can do,” Terrell continues. “You get to see it all firsthand—to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and the disciples.”

Often, the tours combine Israeli destinations with travels to other areas that played a role in early Christianity. “We’ve been to Egypt, Turkey or Athens, Greece, as well as Israel, to give the people on the tours a better view of different countries,” he explains.

Over the years, Terrell says he’s tapped many different businesses to help get his groups there and back. These days, he’s working with the Asheville-based Economy Travel and Tours; owner George Kort, a Palestinian immigrant, got his start as a tour guide in the region.

“I love the people over there, but many of the Israelis really aren’t interested in doing it,” notes Terrell. “We used Israeli guides a few times, and they kept trying to hand us propaganda—they didn’t really seem to understand the Christian side of it. But we’ve always enjoyed working with the Arabs. There was one Palestinian guide we used for 20 years, and he was a good friend of mine. He died recently from cancer.”

Terrell says he’s even found the possibility of living in the Holy Land tempting. “My roots are here; my family’s here; my home is here. But a friend of mine retired, and she bought a house in Galilee overlooking the sea.”

He chuckles.

“My, that’s tempting. I wouldn’t do it, but I’m absolutely in love with the land. I could see myself living there.”

Info: Economy Travel and Tours, 304 Summit St., Asheville NC 28803 (274-9576).

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Walking in Jesus’ footsteps: Economy Travel and Tours

  1. The Church of Israel does not call itself a Christian Identity congregation. But its teachings echo the movement’s, which are generally traced to two 19th-century British ministers, John Wilson and Edward Hine, who justified colonialism on the grounds that the British nation was descended from the 10 lost tribes of biblical Israel.
    http://herosirko.com/

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.