Dust of Emmaus Tours & Ministry

My husband, Randy and I first met Lynn and Holly when they came to share a Passover Seder with our church. The event was captivating and spiritually moving. At the end of the evening, Lynn and Holly informed the group of their plans to tour the Holy Lands. Randy was eager to pursue joining them, where I was leery for fear of not being able to capture the Biblical experience due to commercialism and for fear of being herded around like cattle. We proceeded forward planning our trip. Lynn and Holly offered a few gatherings prior to our travels so the group could get to know each other, answer questions, and work out final details so things would go as smoothly as possible. (It worked)! I describe my Holy Land trip as a “Rooftop to Mountaintop” experience. The first morning in Jerusalem, we met as a group on the rooftop of our motel overlooking the distant hills of Bethlehem where it all began. As Lynn was talking, the Holy Spirit stirred within me. This was the first of many spiritual moments I experienced during our itinerary called, “Walking in the Footsteps of our Messiah” in the fall of 2018. Other highlights took place on various mountaintops throughout the Holy Land. In the Garden of Gethsemane over-looking the Kidron Valley with the temple in the distance, I reflected on Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God” as I sat praying and meditating. Again I found myself profoundly moved with the renewed awareness of ALL Christ did and continues to do in my life. My trip to the Holy Land was far more than I ever dreamt it would be. I felt safe with no fear of terrorism, I never felt we were herded or rushed from site to site, the various sites were not crowded, we had nice accommodations and a great assortment of food, it didn’t feel touristy, plus we had a phenomenal Israeli guide, Yuval and bus driver, David. Overall I would rate my trip with Lynn and Holly guiding us with five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and hope to experience other Biblical areas with them again in the future.

Tammy and I just spent an amazing week with Lynn and Holly Lapka exploring the land of Israel. Lynn really made the Bible come alive as we visited such sites as Mount Arabel, Megiddo, Beit Shan, the Galilee, the Dead Sea, and of course the city of Jerusalem and so many other sites. We even had a chance to do a bit of excavating in a Maccabean Tel along the way where Tammy found a coin. You can read about these places in the Bible, but seeing them was truly awesome! Grateful to God for the opportunity to go.

Our recent trip to Greece and Turkey with Lynn and Holly Lapke certainly exceeded all of our expectations.  From the very first day overlooking the port city of Neapolis (present day Kavala) where Paul arrived from Asia Minor and then later that day walking on the Ignatian Road that he walked on in Philippi, we realized what an amazing trip this was going to be.  Every stop was both mind boggling and meaningful.  We will never read the Bible the same way again.  It comes alive as never before.  We were in awe right up to the last day at the amazing ruins of the grand city of Ephesus where, among other things, we saw the very theater where the rioters chanted for two hours "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"  The tour guides were well informed and wonderful, the food amazing, the hotels luxurious, the bus comfortable, the people friendly, and best of all were the devotions by Pastor Lynn and Holly at every spot.   We highly recommend their tours.

Israel! In a word (or two) just Go! Excerpts from my journal, November 2017: Touchdown...the Promised Land! Surreal..... have a warm feeling being here... kinda like being home. Recognizing road signs to familiar places— Mt Carmel, Jerusalem, Jezreel Valley. Feeling a kinship yet never having seen these places in “real time.” An unexplainable inner peace—sense of God’s protection.... am I really standing here with my toes in the Sea of Galilee? Amazing! Pastor Lynn & Holly’s love for and deep knowledge of Jewish culture makes traveling in their company a joy. Pastor Lynn’s energy & enthusiasm is boundless & contagious! The Bible comes to living, pulsing color before your eyes—a truly unforgettable experience. Expect your soul to be touched.

In the next few days I will begin posting some more moments of the day from our trip to Israel. But first I really want to give honor where honor is due. Pastor Lynn Lapka and Holly Lapka from Saint Ignatius led our trip with such excellence and anointing. What great pastors, teachers, and friends they are! If you have an opportunity to go with them you will be beyond blessed by their humility, patience, and passion. They are still in Israel on Sabbatical for the next few months (which is well deserved by the way). We love you guys!

2 weeks since we came home from Israel. Still treasuring all the memories & experiences we had with this group of amazing friends. Pastor Lynn & Holly Lapka will lead another tour next November & I highly recommend it. (If you are a pastor, they will have another pastor’s tour next January.) Someone told me “I used to read the Bible in black and white, but after visiting Israel, it’s in color.” I couldn’t agree more!

I am at the end of our trip filled to the brim with so much. I have to say that Lynn and Holly did a fantastic job putting together the Itinerary, and weaving in the Rabbinical law to bring so much clarity. I highly recommend a trip if you have never gone.

Trip of a lifetime! What a privilege to spend a week in Israel. It changed all my “flannel graph” images of Bible stories. I can’t wait to reread the Bible! Thank you to Lynn Lapka and Holly Lapka for an incredible tour.

I would like to recommend Pastor Lynn & Holly for your biblical tours.  I have gone with them on tours to Israel, Greece and Turkey. Their enthusiasm and knowledge is a remarkable experience.  Their passion for bringing the word of God alive through the cultural experience brings a deeper understanding to what you already know, and takes your experience to the next level.  I enjoy watching Pastor Lynn share his excitement under the anointing of God while sharing what God has given to him for us.  Please take time to join them on one of their adventures.  You will never regret it.

What an experience!  It has been my pleasure to go on two different tours with Pastor Lynn and Holly – Israel and Greece / Turkey.  Visiting historical sites as well as learning about the culture of the time brought the Bible to life.  Some said “It brought color to black and white.”  I would highly recommend biblical tours with them.

I recently took a trip to Greece and Turkey led by Pastor Lynn and Holly Lapka.  This trip was to visit 6 of the 7 churches in Revelation and visit sites Paul had traveled to.  This trip was amazing.  It was amazing as it brought Paul and his travels alive.  At each stop, Pastor Lynn would discuss and explain what happened there and its importance. Pastor Lynn teachings were practical and relatable to things we see in today's society.  I would highly recommend this trip to anybody.  It was very reasonably priced, especially considering the food we ate, the places we visited and the places we stayed at.  I felt safe and enjoyed the trip so much.  Thank you Pastor Lynn and Holly for providing me with such a wonderful growing experience in my walk with the Lord.  - Mary

I wanted to write and thank you for leading an amazing trip to the Holy Land. Lynn, your biblical insights and ability to tie Old Testament, New Testament and location all together added immeasurably to what I took home from the trip. Had we just visited all of the same sites on our own we would have missed out on many of these significant connections that give each site much more meaning. I also can't imagine having a more knowledgeable guide than Yuval. His encyclopedic knowledge of Israel's history, politics, flora, fauna, agriculture, etc. and his ability to clearly communicate it all was phenomenal. You and Yuval really make the ultimate team! I'll eagerly suggest one of your trips to anyone looking for a trip to the Holy Land.