Local & Global Outreach Minister
Spiritual Development Minister
The day has arrived, and we depart Indianapolis International Airport (IND) on an overnight journey to Turkey.
Today we arrive in Turkey at Istanbul Airport (IST). We will be met by our driver and guide, who will bring us to our hotel. The remainder of the day will be spent at leisure in Istanbul. Overnight Istanbul. Crowne Plaza Istanbul or similar. D.
Today we tour Istanbul. We visit the impressive Blue Mosque, which was built during the Ottoman period by Sultan Ahmet and contains six minarets, 200 stained glass windows, and 20,000 ceramic tiles. We move on to the famous Hagia Sophia, built as a church by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, but later converted to a mosque. We visit Topkapi Palace, which housed the Ottoman imperial court from approximately 1478 to 1856. We spend some free time at the Grand Bazaar, considered to be the oldest and largest shopping mall in the world. Later today we fly from Istanbul to Thessaloniki, Greece (SKG). Overnight Thessaloniki. Holiday Inn or similar. B, D.
This morning we visit Kavala, which is biblical Neapolis, where Paul once landed with Timothy and Silas. We see the city’s Roman aqueduct and Acropolis before moving on to Philippi. We see the river where Lydia’s heart was opened by God to the Gospel (Acts 16:14), the Roman Forum, the theater, and the prison where Paul and Silas were held captive. Then it’s back to Thessaloniki, where we see sites like the old city walls and Roman market, and take in beautiful views of the city. Paul founded a church in Thessaloniki (biblical Thessalonica), to which he wrote the Epistles of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Overnight Thessaloniki. Holiday Inn or similar. B, D.Â
This morning we visit Veria (biblical Berea), where Paul and Silas went after they caused a riot in Thessalonica. We see the traditional location where Paul preached to the Bereans. We drive to Meteora, where we see its famous monasteries, perched precipitously atop towering rock formations. Overnight Kalambaka. Amalia or similar. B, D.
Today we drive from Kalambaka to Athens. Upon arrival in Athens we will have free time. Overnight Athens. Athens Avenue or similar. B, D.
This morning we drive to the port and board our cruise ship, where we will spend the next three nights. Our cruise’s first port of call will be Mykonos. We enjoy this picturesque island, with its excellent cuisine and shopping, before again boarding our cruise ship. Overnight aboard ship. B, L, D.
Today our ship brings us to Kusadasi, in Turkey. From here we transfer to the archaeological site of ancient Ephesus. Paul preached, taught, and lived in Ephesus for an extended period of time (Acts 19:1-10). We move on to the island of Patmos, where we visit the Monastery of St. John and the cave where it is believed that John received the visions that now constitute the book of Revelation. Overnight aboard ship. B, L, D.
Today our ship calls in Santorini, where we will disembark and take in some of the greatest views on the planet. We will have time at leisure in Oia before returning to the ship. Overnight aboard ship. B, L, D.
This morning we disemark our ship and tour Athens, including some of the city’s most iconic sites like the Parthenon and Mars Hill, where Paul famously preached in Acts 17. We head to Corinth, where Paul labored for the Gospel and met Aquila and Priscila. It was to the church in Corinth that Paul wrote 1st and 2nd Corinthians. We see the Temple of Apollo, the Roman agora, and the Bema, where Paul stood trial before Gallio. We see an inscription mentioning Erastus, who is mentioned by Paul at Romans 16:23. Your flight home may depart either tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Athens. Athens Avenue or similar. B, D.
Your flight home may depart either the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. Either way, today we will arrive back in Indianapolis (IND).
Today we will make our way to the airport and fly to Cappadocia’s Kayseri Airport. Upon arrival we will transfer to our hotel and enjoy dinner together. Overnight Cappadocia. Perissia Hotel or similar. B, D.
We will visit the famous Goreme “open-air museum,” a group of ancient churches carved from the rock. Most of these chapels have colorful frescoes inside, which date from the tenth to the 13th centuries. Then, we drive shortly to Uchisar Castle which is the panoramic viewing point of Cappadocia. We will visit many rooms, steps, tunnel and galleries inside the castle. We will visit the town of Avanos, which will provide us with the opportunity to purchase some of the hand-turned pottery and tile that has been shaped here for millennia; some of the techniques still used date back to Hittite times (circa 2000 BC). Overnight Cappadocia. Perissia Hotel or similar. B, D.
Today you may have an optional hot-air balloon ride. Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most fanciful and recognizable landscapes, and during this optional hot-air balloon flight, we’ll soar over its amber terrain and fairy-tale chimneys, savoring a unique panorama in the quiet, rosy light of dawn. After breakfast we drive to Kaymakli Underground City. During the Hittite era, as successive armies swept across Asia Minor, underground cities were built as a uniquely defensible community, approximately eight stories underground. We can explore some of the hundreds of rooms, wandering the many narrow, sloping passageways between kitchens with food storage areas, water cisterns, stables, and living spaces—all well-ventilated by air shafts. At one time, several thousand people lived here. Following our underground city discovery, we’ll see more of this scenic area of Cappadocia. Your flight home may depart tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Cappadocia. Perissia Hotel or similar. B, D.
Your flight home may depart the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. Either way, today you will arrive back at home.
