Visit Mt Carmel with the Bible Nation Society


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Guidelines and Pre-Departure Information for Israel Trip Shalom and welcome to Israel! The following is some information on what to expect when you arrive. We have also included some basic information you will need for this trip in general. We are certain that your visit here will be a blessed one, and you will cherish the memories of it for years to come. You may even find yourself yearning to return again. We hope that you do indeed, and that this trip is only the beginning. Please pray that the Lord would use you as you serve Him on this trip. When your plane arrives in Israel, you will go through a line where they stamp your passport. You may be asked some questions, such as “Why have you come to Israel?” You should tell them you are with Mt. Carmel Bible Institute and are on an educational trip. You will go from there into the luggage receiving area. Once you get your luggage, you should rally with your team leader before exiting the room. Your group should exit together once everyone is accounted for and has their luggage. Once you leave that room, you cannot return due to security reasons. If any of your bags are lost, notify your team leader and then report it at your airline help desk. They will find your luggage and bring it to you in our village within a day or two. This has happened before, so I recommend that you pack a change of clothes and essentials in your carry-on bag. When you come out into the waiting area, we will be there waiting for you and will take you to the bus. You will be tired but excited to be in Israel. From the airport, it will be about an hour and a half to two hours drive to Mt. Carmel. Once we arrive, we will get you settled in the dorm and have a good meal for you. Afterward, we will have a brief orientation meeting where we will get you acquainted with things and you can ask questions. Your team leader may have a few words at that time also. After that, you are free to relax, walk through the village, change your money to Shekels or go to sleep. If you find you have forgotten something, or there is something you need to buy, we will run a van to the store that evening. Please be sure to consult your itinerary and be ready for the next day’s schedule. The following are some things you will need to know. If you have any questions before the trip, please be sure to contact us. Passports and Visas. You need a passport valid through the duration of the trip. If you do not currently have a passport, it is a good idea to get it taken care of at least two months before departure. You can pay extra and have it expedited in two weeks. In some cases, you can pay still more and get them even quicker. U.S. and Canadian passport holders get a three month visa upon entering Israel. You do not need any shots or vaccinations. Money/Travelers Checks: Travelers checks are hard to cash and you lose a lot of money in exchange. We advise against using them. Debit cards work much better. There are ATM machines throughout Israel which will give you Shekels based on the dollar value. Make sure you have your PIN and that your bank enables your card to work overseas. Some debit cards do not function outside the US unless you clear it with your bank first. Credit cards also work in most stores. I normally do not carry more than two or three hundred dollars cash when coming. Calling Home: One thing everyone likes to do is maintain contact with home. We have found that renting a cell phone is the cheapest and most convenient way to do this. Anyone can rent one at the airport for a small flat fee plus a by-the-minute rate for calls to the US. Those rates can vary anywhere between 17 cents to 50 cents per minute. Reception is poor in our village, but most anywhere else in Israel is fine. Some companies will even deliver your phone to your home in the US before departure. It is fully charged and ready to use the moment you land in Israel. We will make arrangements for those interested in your group if that service is available. Israel is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. So, when it is 4PM in the US (EST) it is 11PM in Israel. Health: Nearly all prescription medications are available in Israel, but if you are taking a prescribed medicine, you should bring a sufficient supply with you (and extra glasses or contact lenses if possible). If any medical problem does arise in Israel, we have our own doctor to assist you. Optional Travel Insurance: You can also buy optional travel insurance for the trip. It covers medical emergencies, evacuation, and trip cancellation due to medical emergencies. One company that offers this is Volunteer Missionary Travel Insurance through Adams and Associates international. You can find more information about this travel insurance at www.aaintl.com. Whether you purchase travelers insurance or not is completely at your own discretion. Safety and Security: As far as crime is concerned, Israel is safer than a typical American city. However, keep in mind that no matter where you are in the world, petty thieves must make their living too. Observe the usual traveling precautions, particularly when outside our village and especially on the East side of Jerusalem. Keep your passport safe. It is a good idea to make a copy of your passport and keep it in a separate place from your original. This can help expedite the re-issue of a new passport in case you lose it. Packing: We recommend that you concentrate on informal casual clothes in which you will be comfortable. Formal clothes, neckties, etc will not be used during your stay here. Men will wear long pants at all times in public, and women will be modestly dressed in long skirts or dresses that come to at least mid-shin length. It is also important to bring comfortable walking shoes. Some things you might need are: Sunglasses, camera, sun screen, a hat, a modest nightgown (ladies) and all the basic toiletries such as tooth brush, shampoo, hair dryer, razor, film, batteries, etc. A small day pack can be very useful for carrying things. Weather: Israel has only two seasons; hot and dry or cold and damp. Our seasons tend to be about a month behind typical American seasons. Thus, September is the hottest month and February-March the coldest. For the cooler season: (November to mid-May) Pack warmly and with layers since it can range from 40’s to the 70’s during the day. Bring a coat/jacket and a hat. It is windy on Mt. Carmel, which makes it feel colder during this season. There are fluctuations in temperature in the fall and spring which make the weather unpredictably warmer or colder from day to day. For the warmer season: (May to October) Depending on where you are in the country, the temperature can range from the 70’s to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is hotter in August/September than in May/June. Our village is on top of Mt. Carmel and is therefore a bit cooler. We also enjoy a continuous light breeze from the sea. Short sleeved shirts are fine. Loose fitting, light-weight trousers are recommended for men, and appropriate summer weight, modest apparel for women. Ladies might consider a light shawl or light blanket when traveling on long trips in the air-conditioned bus. note: Sleeveless shirts/dresses are considered very immodest in some communities in Israel. Please be considerate in this matter.* Water: When in areas of arid climate (such as the Dead Sea region,) your body can evaporate fluids without your notice. This can mean that you need water, though you do not feel thirsty. Therefore, it is important that you drink more than you feel you need. For this purpose, we recommend that you carry a canteen or a bottle of water and wear a hat during those times. Bottled water may be purchased at nearly every stop or site in Israel. Tap water in Israel is also OK for you to drink. Laundry: We will have a washer available in the dorm. If further laundry services are necessary, we will arrange to have it taken care of. Towels and Washcloths: It is best that you bring at least one towel and a washcloth or two according to your need. If you forget these things, we can buy them locally. Email and Internet Service: There is a computer shop across the street from our dorm. The owner is a friend of ours and speaks good English. You may access the internet there for 10 shekels an hour (about $2). Electronic Appliances: Electric current in Israel is 220 volt, 50 cycle. We will provide some transformers in the dorm for appliances (shavers, hair dryers, notebook computers, etc) HOWEVER, it is the owner’s responsibility to ascertain the wattage compatibility of the appliance to the transformer. Some appliances are quickly damaged if they have too much wattage run through them.

HOME / ITINERARY / COST / GUIDELINES & PRE-DEPARTURE INFO / BIBLE NATION / CONTACT US

Guidelines and Pre-Departure Information for Israel Trip

Shalom and welcome to Israel! The following is some information on what to expect when you arrive. We have also included some basic information you will need for this trip in general. We are certain that your visit here will be a blessed one, and you will cherish the memories of it for years to come. You may even find yourself yearning to return again. We hope that you do indeed, and that this trip is only the beginning. Please pray that the Lord would use you as you serve Him on this trip.

When your plane arrives in Israel, you will go through a line where they stamp your passport. You may be asked some questions, such as “Why have you come to Israel?” You should tell them you are with Mt. Carmel Bible Institute and are on an educational trip. You will go from there into the luggage receiving area.

Once you get your luggage, you should rally with your team leader before exiting the room. Your group should exit together once everyone is accounted for and has their luggage. Once you leave that room, you cannot return due to security reasons. If any of your bags are lost, notify your team leader and then report it at your airline help desk. They will find your luggage and bring it to you in our village within a day or two. This has happened before, so I recommend that you pack a change of clothes and essentials in your carry-on bag.

When you come out into the waiting area, we will be there waiting for you and will take you to the bus. You will be tired but excited to be in Israel. From the airport, it will be about an hour and a half to two hours drive to Mt. Carmel. Once we arrive, we will get you settled in the dorm and have a good meal for you. Afterward, we will have a brief orientation meeting where we will get you acquainted with things and you can ask questions. Your team leader may have a few words at that time also. After that, you are free to relax, walk through the village, change your money to Shekels or go to sleep. If you find you have forgotten something, or there is something you need to buy, we will run a van to the store that evening. Please be sure to consult your itinerary and be ready for the next day’s schedule.

The following are some things you will need to know. If you have any questions before the trip, please be sure to contact us.

Passports and Visas. You need a passport valid through the duration of the trip. If you do not currently have a passport, it is a good idea to get it taken care of at least two months before departure. You can pay extra and have it expedited in two weeks. In some cases, you can pay still more and get them even quicker. U.S. and Canadian passport holders get a three month visa upon entering Israel. You do not need any shots or vaccinations.

Money/Travelers Checks: Travelers checks are hard to cash and you lose a lot of money in exchange. We advise against using them. Debit cards work much better. There are ATM machines throughout Israel which will give you Shekels based on the dollar value. Make sure you have your PIN and that your bank enables your card to work overseas. Some debit cards do not function outside the US unless you clear it with your bank first. Credit cards also work in most stores. I normally do not carry more than two or three hundred dollars cash when coming.

Calling Home: One thing everyone likes to do is maintain contact with home. We have found that renting a cell phone is the cheapest and most convenient way to do this. Anyone can rent one at the airport for a small flat fee plus a by-the-minute rate for calls to the US. Those rates can vary anywhere between 17 cents to 50 cents per minute. Reception is poor in our village, but most anywhere else in Israel is fine. Some companies will even deliver your phone to your home in the US before departure. It is fully charged and ready to use the moment you land in Israel. We will make arrangements for those interested in your group if that service is available.   Israel is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. So, when it is 4PM in the US (EST) it is 11PM in Israel.

Health: Nearly all prescription medications are available in Israel, but if you are taking a prescribed medicine, you should bring a sufficient supply with you (and extra glasses or contact lenses if possible). If any medical problem does arise in Israel, we have our own doctor to assist you.

Optional Travel Insurance: You can also buy optional travel insurance for the trip. It covers medical emergencies, evacuation, and trip cancellation due to medical emergencies. One company that offers this is Volunteer Missionary Travel Insurance through Adams and Associates international. You can find more information about this travel insurance at www.aaintl.com. Whether you purchase travelers insurance or not is completely at your own discretion.

Safety and Security: As far as crime is concerned, Israel is safer than a typical American city. However, keep in mind that no matter where you are in the world, petty thieves must make their living too. Observe the usual traveling precautions, particularly when outside our village and especially on the East side of Jerusalem. Keep your passport safe. It is a good idea to make a copy of your passport and keep it in a separate place from your original. This can help expedite the re-issue of a new passport in case you lose it.

Packing: We recommend that you concentrate on informal casual clothes in which you will be comfortable. Formal clothes, neckties, etc will not be used during your stay here. Men will wear long pants at all times in public, and women will be modestly dressed in long skirts or dresses that come to at least mid-shin length. It is also important to bring comfortable walking shoes. Some things you might need are: Sunglasses, camera, sun screen, a hat, a modest nightgown (ladies) and all the basic toiletries such as tooth brush, shampoo, hair dryer, razor, film, batteries, etc. A small day pack can be very useful for carrying things.

Weather: Israel has only two seasons; hot and dry or cold and damp. Our seasons tend to be about a month behind typical American seasons. Thus, September is the hottest month and February-March the coldest.

            For the cooler season: (November to mid-May) Pack warmly and with layers since it can range from 40’s to the 70’s during the day. Bring a coat/jacket and a hat. It is windy on Mt. Carmel, which makes it feel colder during this season. There are fluctuations in temperature in the fall and spring which make the weather unpredictably warmer or colder from day to day.

            For the warmer season: (May to October) Depending on where you are in the country, the temperature can range from the 70’s to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is hotter in August/September than in May/June. Our village is on top of Mt. Carmel and is therefore a bit cooler. We also enjoy a continuous light breeze from the sea. Short sleeved shirts are fine. Loose fitting, light-weight trousers are recommended for men, and appropriate summer weight, modest apparel for women. Ladies might consider a light shawl or light blanket when traveling on long trips in the air-conditioned bus.

            *note: Sleeveless shirts/dresses are considered very immodest in some communities in Israel. Please be considerate in this matter.

Water: When in areas of arid climate (such as the Dead Sea region,) your body can evaporate fluids without your notice. This can mean that you need water, though you do not feel thirsty. Therefore, it is important that you drink more than you feel you need. For this purpose, we recommend that you carry a canteen or a bottle of water and wear a hat during those times. Bottled water may be purchased at nearly every stop or site in Israel. Tap water in Israel is also OK for you to drink.

Laundry: We will have a washer available in the dorm. If further laundry services are necessary, we will arrange to have it taken care of.

Towels and Washcloths: It is best that you bring at least one towel and a washcloth or two according to your need. If you forget these things, we can buy them locally.

Email and Internet Service: There is a computer shop across the street from our dorm. The owner is a friend of ours and speaks good English. You may access the internet there for 10 shekels an hour (about $2).

Electronic Appliances: Electric current in Israel is 220 volt, 50 cycle. We will provide some transformers in the dorm for appliances (shavers, hair dryers, notebook computers, etc) HOWEVER, it is the owner’s responsibility to ascertain the wattage compatibility of the appliance to the transformer. Some appliances are quickly damaged if they have too much wattage run through them.