The Steps of Jesus and Apostles cruise is a 13-day cruise that starts in Rome (Civitavecchia) and continues to Athens, Greece; Ephesus, Turkey; Haifa and Ashdod, Israel; Alexandria, Egypt; Messina, Sicily, and Naples/Capri, Italy and back to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. This year Disciples Today had 97 people join from 10 different countries and from 5 different sectors of the New York City Church of Christ
(Anita Wright - Manhattan, Camille Khairule - Lower Westchester, Cathy Basilan - Bronx, Omenel Chester - Staten Island and Theodore Sifontes - New Jersey).
Anita Wright - Manhattan writes: "The trip was a wonderful reminder for me that we, in NYC, are part of something so much bigger than our own local community. It's so important to continually get out, get to know others, explore and enjoy. I loved that the 97 of us were from so many different places, backgrounds, ages, etc., and for the most part, didn't know each other prior to th
e trip, but our common bond of faith brought us together in a very harmonious and lovely way."
We had incredible memories from all the places we visit, as well as our times in the cruise. We saw lots of history and saw the actual places that's in the Bible, such as where Paul first preached in Ephesus, Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged Jezebel's priests, Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, the desert where Jesus fasted at start of his ministry, and so much more!
Theodore Sifontes - New Jersey writes: "The part of this trip that impressed me the most is having a greater perspective on the geography of Israel. Reading the Bible will lead to a clearer understanding. My hope is that more disciples will make a trip to the Holy Land."
Among the favorite moments for the trip was having communion at the Mount of Beatitudes as we overlooked the Sea of Galilee.
"I was incredibly moved, in a way that I didn't expect, by our communion service on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Listening to the Jesus' (Matthew 5, 6 & 7) message read in the actual place where he spoke, and imagining myself as an onlooker, reminded me powerfully of how I'm merely walking in the footsteps of spiritual giants who suffered too, and that I need to persevere and shine brightly (Matt. 5:11-16)." - Anita Wright, Manhattan
"The most powerful impact to me was when we had worship service at the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galillee and putting myself back in time to listening to Jesus give his sermon and just reflecting to when God first called me and how He has changed me since then. It's always powerful to reflect on what God has done in our lives because I know for me there's no way I could have changed from who I was then to now without God." - Cathy Basilan, Bronx
While at sea, we had classes from Roger Lamb of Disciples Today to help us connect the Bible with the places that we were visiting. We also had singles devotionals, impromptu singing devotionals, and lots of fellowship! Besides meeting people in the group from all over, We also met the disciples in Greece, Israel and Egypt.
Because of the trip, new friendships were formed, existing ones 
solidified and all of our faith increased! Among the most faith-building moments were the 4 people studying the Bible while we were in the cruise and a baptism! The harvest truly is plentiful! Our God is not to be put in a box. He's limitless and can use us in different ways any where that we are!
"Last but not least, after touring and seeing the remnants of the various empires (Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, etc.), and witnessing the tensions that still remain, I understood the incomprehensibility and power of Jesus' message about a spiritual kingdom. In the historical and cultural context, it would not compute. Even seeing the limited physical evidence, today, of Jesus' presence on earth, challenges my faith. To witness that what Jesus established, without monuments, has outlasted those kingdoms (which were and are impressive) is a testament to the truth of Jesus and his message." - Anita Wright, Manhattan
