We plan and we prepare and we look forward . . . and then suddenly the day is upon us!  Our travelers are packed and ready to go. The suitcases have been weighed and are standing ready to be loaded on the bus.  The bus will first pick up our Otterbein friends and then head here where we will have a brief "farewell" party and then load for the airport!  We fly to Philadelphia and then board our flight to Ben Gurion airport in Israel.  We will leave Israel on November 3rd and be home on the 4th and in between, we have a full and exciting itinerary.

The Building Bridges Mission is really an exercise in understanding.  It is a chance for a group of 13 older adults to show all of us that we can grow in understanding, learn more about one another and demonstrate tolerance and cooperation at any age.  These individuals have been learning about one another's faith traditions and backgrounds for months.  Now they will experience the history together in that very special place that is the birthplace of all of the world's major religions.

I look forward to sharing our experiences and photos with you daily.  We are all grateful for all of the interest and support we have received from our Cedar Village community and the greater Cincinnati community and you are all a part of this Mission and will be with us every step of the way.