Please meet your Tour Leaders Dale and Shirley Keffer:

Dale, like Malcolm, was born the same year that Israel became a sovereign nation. Dale is 60 years old and has been married to Shirley, the love of his life for over 41 years. We have two daughters and seven grandchildren - four boys and three girls.

I was ordained to the ministry in the Providence Mennonite Church in 1974 and have been pastoring there ever since. In addition to pastoring at home, I have also carried on an itinerant ministry for over 30 years. The itinerant ministry has taken us to many places in the States and Canada.

Some of the knowlege and information gleaned from our trips to Israel was put to good use in teaching Old Testament History and Introduction to Jewish Life and Culture one term per year for a total of nine years at Rosedale Bible Institute.

Our first tour to Israel was in 1984. Our feeling is that one can never get enough of the Land of the Bible.

Your Tour guide will be Malcolm Cartier of Jerusalem:

Malcolm David Cartier of Russian, Hungarian, Austrian and Welsh descent. The youngest of three brothers, was born March 18, 1948 in London, England to Jewish parents, Marie and Martyn Cartier; just two months prior to the re-birth of the State of Israel. After completion of formal education at Carmel College along the bank of the upper section of the River Thames in the heart of the British countryside, he began to study and work in the furniture industry.

In June 1967, outbreak of the Six-Day Israel-Arab War, an awakening and emotional involvement paved the way to help his fellow brothers in the Promised Land. He gave of his time and abundant energy to the security of the Holy Land, by joining Israel's Defense Forces. Soldier Malcolm and friends initiated building the first agricultural defense post in the Golan Heights along the Syrian frontier and later moved to the rural collective farm of Kibbutz Ma'ayan Baruch on the Lebanese border.

To objectively observe his situation he returned to England but felt unable to fully resettle. An impulse in 1971 inspired extensive travel across Europe which in turn stimulated an involvement in tourism, believing that peace could be obtained and realized through people observing, learning and understanding others. Continued education brought qualifications as a licensed London guide and member of the British Guild of Guide Lecturers, later representing a British travel company in Israel. Whilst becoming a concerned Israeli citizen living in Jerusalem, studies continued about the Bible, the Land, the People and culture resulting in further qualifications as an Israeli Government licensed guide-lecturer in addition a Tourist Travel and Agency Expert. Malcolm established an impressively unique working knowledge of the Bible. He has spent years shepherding travelers and pilgrims; obviously he loves the opportunity to share with others and has been privileged to lecture in over half of the United States of America.

Married to a Jerusalem Sabra, Levana, they share similar interests of creativity, love ancient and classical art, carpentry and design. On January 26, 1981 their darling daughter Kareen Meira (which means "a ray of light from G-d') was born; October 29, 1982 they were blessed with a handsome son, Eliran Joseph (which means "my G-d sings to me"). On October 21, 1987 were again blessed with another handsome son Eitan Asher (which means "Health and Strength").

Malcolm has been noted as one of the leading lecturers relating to the ancient Promised Land. Israel's folklore and revival into the modern thriving Nation of today, where his scholarship, enthusiasm and articulate English makes the Bible live and as exciting as the day it was written.

His great desire is that many will join him and 'Walk about Zion, go round about her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels; that you may tell the next generation that this is G-d, our G-d for ever and ever. He will be our guide for ever.' Psalm 48. v 13-14.