Preliminary Trip Meetings and Information

June 11, 2006 – Initial Meeting

Anyone with a cursory interest in becoming part of the group for the Greece-Holy Land Tour was invited to attend the 1st meeting in the chapel at Capital Christian Center (CCC) at 3 pm. Shannon was the person who brought this trip to our attention. She informed Cathy and I that she was at a point in her life where taking the trip was possible and might even be a sensible thing to do given the uncertainty of her situation in the year 2010 – when the next trip is planned. We decided to attend the meeting - primarily so we wouldn’t burst Shannon’s ‘bubble’. I think at this point in time Shannon was hopeful that we would go on the trip too. Once inside the chapel, a couple of things got my attention: it was hot and the price of the trip was more than we have ever spent on a vacation. The temperature outside was close to 100 but it wasn’t much cooler inside as the air conditioning was not working. Someone got the bright idea that opening the outside door and letting the 100 degree heat in was a good idea. The cost of the trip seemed prohibitive. We had never spent this much on a vacation, but then we had never taken a 15-day combo cruise/land vacation. About 85 people attended this 1st meeting.

July 25, 2006 Letter from Pastor Glen Cole

The next scheduled meeting for all interested travelers would be September 24 at 3 pm in the chapel. A down payment of $300 will reserve a spot until the money deadline of March 29, 2007. The deadline for signing up for the trip is February 28, 2007. We paid the $300 down payment but have not decided if we are going. The down payment is refundable and paying it saves a spot for us and allows us the time to think about whether we go or not.

September 24, 2006 Meeting

This was a brief meeting to collect the $300 down payment and for potential travelers to ask questions about any facet of the trip. Approximately 92 people have expressed an interest in going. I don’t know how many have reserved a spot by paying the $300. The next scheduled meeting will be in January 2007.

December 20, 2006 Letter from Pastor Glen Cole

The next meeting was scheduled for January 28, 2007 at 3 pm in the chapel. The following important dates were provided:
February 28 Deadline for signing up for the tour
March 25 Meeting at the Church – full payment for the tour required
June 5 Flight leaves San Francisco
June 19 Arrive back in San Francisco

Sometime between the September 24 meeting and this January 28 meeting, I decided that the trip was going to happen – Cathy knew all along and just waited for me to catch up.

March 25, 2007 Meeting

We paid the remaining balance for the trip – we are going. The total number for which payment was received was 46 – much less than 92 but a more manageable size. We have married, divorced and never been married people as part of the group. The age spread is somewhere from 20 to 70 years.

Getting Ready For the Trip

Cathy and I registered and attended a class that teaches you how to pack ‘light’. What that means is that you can go on a 2-3 week vacation and only take a carry-on suitcase. That is a true statement and what you have to learn is that you must buy extra light socks, underwear, pants and shirts and realize that you will be washing clothes in the sink every 2-3 days. This family committed to traveling ‘light’ and I’m sure we will look a little odd when we arrive at the church to start the vacation with our three little suitcases.