By Mones Farah

There is something about spending eight days with a large group of people made up of all sorts of backgrounds, tastes and wants. Recently, a group of 30 people, mainly from the parish of Aberystwyth, and a few others from other churches, spent nine days touring the land of the Bible. This was no ordinary trip as it also included singing in a choir in three different locations in Israel.

The group joined and led the worship in the Anglican Church in Haifa, then went on to sing in the Nazareth Hospital at Nazareth, before culminating by singing at St George‘s Cathedral in Jerusalem.

Our programme contained the best of Welsh and English hymns, including ‘Jesus Lover of My Soul’ to the tune ‘Aberystwyth’, Welsh folk music on the harp, whistle and violin, in addition to a few pieces played and sung with the harp. The programme was varied and wonderful. Between the services and events that the group led, we toured the Land of Milk and Honey, a land with very little rain, and yet, a luscious, fertile, fruitful, beautiful and green land.

It is fair to say that most, if not all, of the group, the choir and the front of house team members regarded the excursion as the trip of a lifetime. Our experience was so enhanced by meeting and spending time with local people – Israeli Arabs and Jews, Palestinian Christians and Muslims, secular hotel employees, and the volunteers, nuns and staff of a convent.

Even before we headed back to Wales, we were asked by so many, ‘Are you coming again?’, and a couple on the excursion also asked for another trip to be planned!