Anabaptist History Study Tour
Germany, Switzerland, Holland
Oct 21– Nov. 1, 2017
We invite you to join us for this first ever SMBI study tour with seasoned tour directors, Dwight & Joanne Martin from Shippensburg, PA. (Yes, it will also include plenty of sight seeing opportunities!) For maximum impact , this tour can be combined with the 4-week Anabaptist History class during First Term Enhanced. However, the tour is also open as a separate tour without being here for term.
The tour will be offered first to First Term Enhanced Students, alumni of SMBI, and then to the general public.
Anabaptist History Study Tour
Switzerland, Germany & Holland
Oct. 21 - Nov. 1, 2017
We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind study opportunity in Anabaptist history. This is an opportunity to study Anabaptist history during our first term enhanced program (see catalog for schedule) then take a hands on study and sightseeing tour to Switzerland, Germany, and Holland. You will visit numerous sites where Anabaptists lived, hid, worshiped, were imprisoned, or died, tour numerous museums and castles, and stay in a private home. You’ll see the Swiss Alps, Dutch windmills, take a cruise on the Rhine River and the canals in Amsterdam, visit a flower auction, and much more. Numerous native speakers and guides will contribute to this tour directed by Dwight and Joanne Martin of Shippensburg, PA. The Martin’s have been leading tours since 1994 and have prepared this study tour especially for SMBI students and alumni.
All applications for the tour will be received. Seats for the tour will first be given to first term enhanced students, then SMBI alumni, with remaining seats awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. A passport is required with an expiration date of May, 2018 or later.
Tour costs include transportation from SMBI, air travel, lodging, morning and evening meals, tips and taxes, and all sightseeing and attractions included in the itinerary. Lunch, snacks, evening beverages, and souvenirs are not included. Lodging is quad-occupancy in hotels and hostels. Double occupancy is available with extra fees. Cost: $3275 - $3750 per person depending on group size.
To apply use the standard student application with a $500 tour deposit. If applying only for the tour, you may use the attached tour application. An additional $1000 will be due April 1 and the balance due July 1. Application deadline for the tour is July 1.
Itinerary
October 21, 2017 – Saturday - Fly from USA to Zurich, Switzerland
October 22, 2017 – Sunday - Arrive in the morning and take a city tour of Zurich. Drive to Baretswil where we will hike to the Anabaptist cave where our forefathers worshipped in secret. Sleep in Liestal.
October 23, 2017 – Monday - All day guide with Dr. Hanspeter Jecker, president of the Swiss society for Anabaptist history. Visiting Basel and the surrounding area. Sleep in Liestal.
October 24, 2017 – Tuesday - Drive through the beautiful Emmental Valley to Simon and Regula Fankhauser’s homestead. Here you will see the hiding place where Christian Fankhauser hid Anabaptists from the head hunters. We will also stop at the Kambly cookie store where you can sample and buy many different kinds. Then on to the Trachselwald castle where Hans Haslibacher and many others were kept as prisoners for their faith. Sleep in Bern.
October 25, 2017 – Wednesday - Tour Bern, then visit the Thun castle where Anabaptists were kept for their belief, trying to convince them to recant. Then on to Schwarznegg, and visit a church that was built in 1693 with Anabaptist money. Sleep in Interlaken.
October 26, 2017 – Thursday - Today is a highlight. We will go to the town of Brienz, where we will get on a steam train and travel up the Rothorn Mountain. Sights are hard to describe as we chug up higher and higher above the tree line. Then travel to Interlaken to sleep. (option to paraglide)
October 27, 2017 – Friday - This morning we will travel over the Grimsel pass towards one of our favorite mountain villages. Torbel, an old Swiss town high up in the mountains that shows how they usually farmed. Sleep in Lake Geneva area.
October 28, 2017 – Saturday - Travel towards Mainz this morning where we will visit the Gutenberg museum and see how they first printed Bibles on a printing press. Then to Worms cathedral where Martin Luther made his famous proclamation. Stay with private families in Frankenthaler.
October 29, 2017 – Sunday - Worship with our new made friends, the Umsiedlers, at Frankenthal. Enjoy a fellowship meal with them. From there travel to Weirhof with Gary Waldner where he will show us the Mennonite archives. Sleep in Rudesheim area.
October 30, 2017 – Monday - Another highlight--- a Rhine river cruise. See the old castles and steep vineyards on both sides of the river. Then we will travel to Asperen, Holland, where Dirk Willems story took place. Visit the tower where he was kept prisoner & then the place where he was burned at the stake. Sleep in Amsterdam.
October 31, 2017 – Tuesday - Today we will take a canal ride in Amsterdam, visit Haarlem Mennonite church and their archives. Then on to the lovely windmill village of Zaan Schanz, seeing how an old windmill still operates. Also visit the Rembrandt cheese and wooden shoe farm. Sleep in Amsterdam
November 1, 2017 – Wednesday - Visit the Aalsmeer flower auction early this morning. Then head for home!
At a recent SMBI Sunday evening staff meeting, we engaged in several rounds of the Ungame. I was asked the question, “If you were to write an article, what would you title it?” The first thought that came to my mind was “Holiness for Dummies.” The first “for Dummies” book by Dan Gookin written in 1991 has mushroomed to include almost every conceivable topic including, Acne for Dummies, Fishing for Dummies (I wonder how many they have caught), Crosswords for Dummies and even A Little Bit of Everything for Dummies.
It is clear in both the Old and New Testaments that God wants to be known. When our heart beats with His with an intense desire to know Him, what a beautiful combination it is. Here are a few morsels to contemplate in your journey of discovery.
I’m one who does not like to face my fears. I don’t mind staying in my safety bubble where nothing can harm me. I never thought it was wrong to look at life this way. I always thought that it was just who I am and that if I don’t want to do something then I don’t have to do it. But this summer, as I went on WATER, I found out differently. My safety bubble ruptured one afternoon as I found myself perched on top of SMBI’s swing set. I stood there trembling, wondering how I would ever make it across the beam. After much encouragement from my teammates, I made it safely to the other side. Once my feet hit the ground, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I realized how much my fears held me back in life.
The course catalog, term calendar, course schedule, course offerings, handbook, instructors, and student application are updated for the 2017/2018 academic year.
The WATER program is a six week summer missions opportunity. It provides students with a first hand experience of mission work with the missionary as a teacher. There are still open opportunities, especially for men.
Read more ...Priority registration for 2017 - 2018 school year ends May 1,2017.
