By: Chris Benjamin

Since 1987, The Salvation Army has offered educational tours of the Holy Land to officers in their eighth year of officership. The tour includes the coastal ports of Joppa and Caesarea Maritima. the region of Galilee, including Nazareth, Capernaum, the Mount of the Beatitudes and a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The purpose of this tour is to give officers even more understanding and perspective of where Jesus Christ ministered during his time on Earth.

Recently, Bernie Dake was joined in the studio by Captain Erik Henry, who had recently been on the tour. He shared how his tour experience has impacted his life.

"So many times as we have the opportunity to preach to so many people who are lost," he said."We use the waves of life as illustrations, and we were right there on the Sea of Galilee, experiencing those waves that Jesus had an opportunity to walk on, and that just makes Scripture come to life."

Captain Henry acknowledged that most people will not have the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. So one of the most valuable takeaways from this tour was his ability to bring these stories and experiences back to his congregation in Athens, Georgia. The week after he returned, Captain Henry's sermon was, appropriately enough, about the calming of the sea. During his sermon, he shared footage he captured of the Sea of Galilee.

"It was just amazing to bring all of that to life for our own congregation," he said.

Over 1.4 million people travel to the Holy Land each year. People from all over the world continue to travel to these sites with the hope of finding something special. For Salvation Army officers, this invaluable experience continues to inspire and bring personal revelation.

This episode of Wonderful Words of Life will air on Sunday, August 6. Subscribe to the podcast to hear an extended version of this interview on August 11^th. Visit us online at www.salvationarmysoundcast.org for more information.