October 13, 2025: a MONUMENTAL day for Israel and for the world as the remaining 20 living hostages are finally returned HOME after two years in captivity! The people are rejoicing and celebrating; yet tears of joy are mingled with tears of sorrow for the families whose loved ones were killed. Listen as Rich Ferreira talks with Rich Liverance LIVE from Israel as he watches events unfold. Continue to pray for Israel and their people as they begin the healing process and for peace and wisdom for their future.

Jeremiah 31: 16-17

 "This is what the Lord says: 'Restrain your voice from weeping

 and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,' declares the Lord.

 'They will return from the land of the enemy.

So there is hope for your descendants,' declares the Lord.

'Your children will return to their own land'."

What do you do when you wake up at 3am from jetlag? You record a podcast! Join Rich and Dan as they reflect on their recent Reformation Tour of Germany and Switzerland. 500 years of history is a lot to fit into a 10-day itinerary, but Dan covered a great deal of it on this trip! Beginning with the premise that "ideas have consequences", Dan led the group through the study of the Reformers, their ideas, and questions that changed the world - some of which we are still asking today!

"What should I believe?" 

"How should I be governed?"

"What is the nature of a good society?"

Join us (Sept. 12-23, 2026) for a journey filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of Germany and Switzerland, encompassing historical sites like the Berlin Wall and Neuschwanstein Castle, and the natural beauty of places such as Lake Constance in Switzerland. We will visit the residences and workplaces of the Reformers, but more importantly, we will bring our own faith to bear in the churches and streets where the gospel was rediscovered and proclaimed during the 16th century and beyond.

Learn more about the 2026 Reformation Tour: https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-germany-switzerland-2026#itinerary

Read the 2025 trip blog: https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/signature-germany-switzerland-2025

Learn more about Dan and 1517: https://1517.org/

Rich Ferreira and 12 other participants were part of the Aug. 28-Sept. 7, 2025 Stand with Israel Tour. They were our first trip to travel to Israel in nearly two years! On this interesting itinerary, they traversed the Land from top to bottom and side to side, visiting many unique sites that aren't usually included on our Israel trips like Shiloh, Sepphoris, and Magdala. They also had the privilege to visit the Nova Memorial and Hostage Square. You KNOW Ronen is Israeli and that Rich loves Israel, so listen instead to the participants as they share firsthand about safety, sites, food and much more. God willing, we will be running many more trips to Israel in the near future and hope to include some of you! See our trip schedule here: https://gtitours.org/schedule

30 years is a long time to be tour guide. That's why we are taking this episode to celebrate with our Turkish guide, Ozan! It's not an easy job, but it is an interesting one when you are leading tours through an amazing country like Turkey. Many people don't realize what a hidden gem this country is! With thousands of years of history, diverse people, stunning landscapes, and delicious food, what's not to like? Don't forget its biblical significance as Asia Minor, the home of the 7 Churches of Revelation, and the birthplace of the Apostle Paul. Nearly 90% of the New Testament was either written to, from, or about someone in Turkey (Asia Minor)! If you want to visit someplace special and have a guide who really connects you to the country, join us in April 2026 and meet our incredible guides: Ozan, Gokhan and Dogan. You'll never read the New Testament the same!

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-turkey-greece-2026

No, we are not discussing World Cup rivalries! This podcast episode is in a different format - a spirited but fun REFORMATION FACE OFF. GTI's Signature Tours of Germany/Switzerland and England/Scotland are each incredible, but how to choose? Listen as trip leaders Dan van Voorhis and Adam Richardson debate the sites, characters, heritage, hidden gems, cuisine, and more from each trip.

Regardless of which tour you join, you will experience quality teaching, comfortable accommodations, delicious food, and see more sites than you can imagine. Discover the ancient roots of modern faith in Europe. Invest in your spiritual life and watch your faith be transformed!

A few spaces remain for each tour. Learn more here:

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-england-scotland-2025

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-germany-switzerland-2025

Here is the link for 2026 Germany/Switzerland:

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-germany-switzerland-2026

2026 England/Scotland dates are TBD.

Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3s8SeGNkcQ
 

The Doctor is in the house for this podcast - Dr. Rich Liverance, of course! His work with the government of Israel brings insight to Rich Ferreira's update. This episode (recorded on July 4) will help you get an overview of the sequence of events in Israel and the surrounding countries since the initial attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Israel is the Center of God's Redemptive Story; the name itself means "to wrestle with God." Not only this, but also its ideal location makes it the most desired Land in the world! Remember that God is still at work in His Land and His People; continue to pray for peace for the people of the Middle East. Our partners, guides and drivers are safe and well and look forward to our groups returning to the Land.

Join Rich or follow the trip blog for the Stand with Israel Tour, Aug. 28-Sept. 7, 2025

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-stand-with-israel-2025

 Rich Liverance and Rich Ferreira are fresh off the airplane and back in the studio to share about their amazing time in Saudi Arabia and Jordan! Our March 2025 Signature Tour group was an adventuresome bunch and the first ever to cross into Saudi Arabia! Their itinerary included not only many historical sites in Jordan but also the likely biblical sites of the Split Rock (Exodus 17), the grove of palm trees (Exodus 15), an altar-high place with bull/cow carvings at the foot of the Arabian Mount Horeb (Exodus 32), as well as the desert of Wadi Rum, a possible location of the Wilderness of Paran mentioned in scripture. 

To be able to follow the Text step by step and walk the likely route of the Israelites is monumental. God often used the desert as a place of formation for His people, and the Exodus was no exception. Rich L. explains how God met them in the desert, formed them into a nation there, and identifies with the desert; he also breaks down the 7+ specific types of desert in Scripture.

To learn more about this incredible trip, read their trip blog at:

https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/signature-saudi-jordan-2025

If you're interested in seeing Saudi Arabia and Jordan in March of 2026, email Joni at [email protected] and let us know.

Types of deserts in Hebrew (by Rich Liverance):

1. Midbar: This is the most used term for "wilderness" in the Bible. In fact, the book of Numbers is entitled, "BaMidbar," in Hebrew, which means "In the Wilderness." A midbar can be any sort of desert terrain but usually indicates a desert that can sustain flocks. There is also a possible association of this term with the Hebrew verb, "to speak (medeber)," which shares the same root (dbr). Thus, the midbar may be the place of speaking or the place where God speaks to His people.
2. Tziyah: This word is translated as "desert" in the Text. It generally refers to a dry, remote area.
3. Aravah: This is used as the formal name of the desert south of the Dead Sea to the Red Sea but can also refer to the entire Jordan Valley generally south of the Sea of Galilee. When used as a plural (aravoht), however, it refers generally to "deserts."
4. Yeshimon: This is my favorite. This refers to the most desolate, barren, and brutally inhospitable land without any water, greenery or growth of any kind.
5. Yabashah: This word comes from the Hebrew word, yabash, meaning "dry." It is usually translated as "dry land" such as when the Israelites crossed the Red sea on "dry land."
6. Tzekhikhah: This term refes to a "parched land" in Psalm 68:6.
7. Sharav: This word is translated as "scorched land" in Isaiah 35:7 but can also refer to a mirage. This is the kind of desert that causes you to see things like ghosts and oases that aren't really there.
8. Tzimaon: This word is translated as "thirsty ground" in Isa, 35:7 and is used together with "sharav" above.

If you live in the SO CAL area, you are in for a treat. GTI's friend and partner, Randy Alsonso, joins today's episode to share about the Bridges for Peace REVEAL conference, coming up on May 16-17, 2025. It will be a time of revealing Israel in scripture, the truth about the conflict and the role of the Church. The conference will be held at Calvary Bellflower Church, 14722 Clark Ave., Bellflower, CA 90706. Our beloved Israeli guide Ronen is coming to California to speak! Registration and details at https://subscribepage.io/Reveal-eventbrite-page

Additionally, the Well Clovis Campus will be hosting him at 6:30pm on May 7 at 325 Nees, Clovis, CA 93611. The event will be in the backyard of the home on the corner of Minnewawa and Nees. Parking off of Minnewawa across from Buchanan Stadium. All are welcome!

This fun episode comes to you LIVE from EGYPT while Rich, Jerrell and the Signature Tour group cruise the Nile River. Listen in as they describe the highlights of the trip thus far: the Pyramids and Sphinx, sacred temples, imposing statues, and the treasures of the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum. Egyptian guide Osama joins the conversation to discuss the 10 plagues of Exodus and the Egyptian deities they disparaged. Understanding where the Israelites were coming from is crucial to understanding their journey to the Promise Land; from now on, this group will read the scriptures in a new light!

To learn more about this trip, read our Egypt/Jordan Signature Tour trip blog (including some amazing photos).

https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/signature-egypt-jordan-2025

Join us for the next round of this incredible tour, March 4-16, 2026!

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-egypt-jordan-2026

Exciting news: GTI is headed back to Europe! Not only do we run tours to Germany and Switzerland, but now also England and Scotland! The British Isles are steeped in 1800 years of Christian history from Bible times to our times. Pastor Adam Richardson brings his passion for church history, thorough education, and experience living and studying in England to bear in leading this incredible tour. We will follow the ancient path of our faith from 2nd-century believers under Roman occupation in Britannia to the late Middle Ages to the English Reformation and beyond, studying not only the astonishing architecture but the people who lived out the Gospel and passed it down to us today. Join us October 7-16, 2025 to understand the history of the Word and the People of the Word, and to invest in your own spiritual life. This trip is limited to 20 participants, so register today! 

https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-england-scotland-2025