Yes, I am! Since 2018, Anton and I have been part of the English congregation in Germany, our home country. Prior to that, we served in the Spanish congregation for 7 years and in the Russian congregation for 9 years.

In addition to our congregational assignments, we've had the opportunity to participate in preaching campaigns both in Germany and abroad. One such occasion was when we were invited to preach to the Russian-speaking population in Jerusalem, Israel.

A particularly memorable experience was serving for 2 years amidst the breathtaking mountains of the Dominican Republic. And our most recent theocratic adventure took us to Namibia where we spent 2 months and learned how to preach in 6 languages at the same time.

Yes, we love traveling, languages, and exploring different cultures, especially when these things are intertwined with theocratic activities. So, naturally, some of our favorite trips are the Bible Lands Study Trips.

No, I don't offer guided tours, I don't organize tours for others, and I don't take anyone on our trips.

So what DO I do? In essence, I study, research, travel, document and then share it to make it easier for other JWs to visit the Bible Lands for themselves.

Explore my Google Maps travel guides and ebooks ➥ and have a wonderful journey - at your own pace, at your preferred time and in the company of your choice (and save a lot of money). Also, don't miss my blog post titled "Plan Your Self-guided Trip" ➥, where I've compiled as many resources and tips as possible to assist you in organizing and planning your own journeys.

I've generously shared a wealth of information for free on my website and Instagram, and I intend to continue to do so.

Some of my readers have expressed a desire to support the project through donations, which is why I introduced the "Buy Me a Coffee ➥" option.

Additionally, I have started creating ebooks and customized Google MyMaps ➥. The prices I have established for these items are rather symbolic, given the time, effort, and costs that went into their creation.

The bottom line: While I do sometimes get a tip or contribution for my ebooks or maps, my project is not generating any profit and has never been about making money.

★★★★ ISRAEL: 

+ Tons of Biblical sites

+ Easy to research / lots of material on WOL

+ Easy to get around by car (but plan your route well!)

+ Budget-friendly

/ Local food

/ Crowds (depends)

- Many sites are taboo (conflict zones and such)

- No atmosphere / general hostility (there are exceptions though)

★★★★ GREECE:

+ Easy to research

+ Easy to get around by car / public transport

+ Not too crowded (except Athens)

+ Local food 

/ Atmosphere

/ Quantity of Biblical sites

- Archaeological sites not well presented

- Not budget-friendly 

★★★★ EGYPT:

+ Many Biblical / Bible related sites

/ Atmosphere

/ Local food

/ Budget

- Archaeological sites not well presented

- Little material on WOL

- Lots of misinformation

- Transport (you can't go by car)

- Scams / overcharging (out of proportion and by officials)

- Extremely crowded

★★★★★ ITALY (ROME):

+ Archaeological sites are mostly well presented

+ Many Biblical sites

+ Easy to research

+ Easy to get around (public transport)

+ Excellent local food

+ Atmosphere

/ Budget

- Crowds

★★★★★★ TURKEY:

+ Lots of Biblical sites

+ Archaeological sites are mostly well presented

+ Easy to research

+ Easy to get around by car

+ Excellent local food

+ Budget-friendly

+ Atmosphere / Locals

/ Crowds (in some parts)

★★★★★★ JORDAN:

+ Lots of Biblical sites

+ Archaeological sites are mostly well presented

+ Easy to research

+ Easy to get around by car

+ Excellent local food

+ Budget-friendly

+ Atmosphere / Locals

+ Not crowded (except for some parts of Petra)

It's all subjective, obviously ;).

I begin with the Bible and Biblical literature to gain a general understanding of the events associated with a particular location, including the key figures and rulers involved. This allows me to make relevant connections later as I delve into the site's remains and history. When I examine the site I look at excavation reports, archaeological texts, books, and the like.

Once I've identified what is Biblically relevant and decided on the places to visit, I move on to the actual organization of the trip, which involves researching the current situation, the tourist infrastructure, booking transport, hotels, visas, entrance tickets, etc. Finally, I create a detailed itinerary for us to follow.

The research doesn't stop when the trip begins. There are always new details to uncover on-site. And since I'm sharing my Bible Lands trips, I'm on a mission to document and photograph everything that catches my eye.

Back home, I compile all the information into travel guides, edit the photos and prepare other visuals to add substance to my posts.

While I do my best to provide quality content that is accurate, informative and comprehensive, I do not claim to know it all. It's always a good idea to double-check anything outside of JW.org.

Many people use it regularly, the platform's layout suits my content, the character limit on captions forces me to be more on point ;), and the ability to have a private account gives me control over who can see and engage with my posts. 

But while I'm comfortable using Instagram, I do question this choice of platform from time to time. Given Instagram's preference for short-lived content, with a particular focus on video, my text-heavy captions and photo carousels may seem out of place and are unappreciated by the algorithm.

Also, social accounts can get hacked or deleted, or a platform can go out of style and, frankly, I lack the energy, time or interest to keep up with new platforms. That is another reason for my "new" undertaking to create ebooks - to have something permanent and outside of any platform.