IN THE HOLY LAND—Shown are (standing from left) Glade Valley resident Roger Collins, Ennice residents Dennis and Mary Crouse, Sparta residents Rev. Sam Foster, Donna Dalton and Ann Foster, Raleigh residents Jan McRoy and Annette Turbyfill, Elizabeth City residents (formerly of Sparta) Shirley Waddell, Jim Waddell, Raleigh resident Cliff McRoy and Piney Creek resident Dale Mount; and Glade Valley resident Carla Collins (bending over in foreground). Not pictured are Dale Turbyfill of Raleigh and David Ferguson of Fort Pierce, Fla.

Sparta couple lead tours of Holy Land

Ann Foster and the Rev. Sam Foster have traveled to the Holy Land seven times since 1990 and their most recent trip was in November of this past year, along with a group of Alleghany County residents.

The couple often hosts tours, inviting local residents to join them to see the site familiar to Christians through the Bible, including sites of religious significance from both the Old and New Testaments.

"I like to say going to Jerusalem will make your Bible come alive. You'll never read it the same way again," Mrs. Foster said. Among sites visited this past year were Jerusalem, Mount Nebo, Galilee, Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Dead Sea, Qumran and Petra. The Fosters book tours through Educational Opportunities Tours.

As for the safety of the region, Mrs. Foster noted, "It's very well protected by an excellent Israeli Defense Force. Security is very good."

In addition, the Palestinian areas outside the security wall that surrounds Israel have seen improved security over the past five years or so, she said. Guides from Israel are not allowed into the Palestinian areas, she noted, including Bethlehem and Jericho.

Donna Dalton, who said she accompanied the Fosters on the trip, noted it was her first trip out of the country. "In Israel, they're really good to us Americans. All their signs are in Hebrew, Arabic and English," she noted.