December 31, 2008

ELGIN, IL – The Church of the Brethren and Heifer International are jointly sponsoring a Study Tour to Georgia and Armenia on Sept. 17-Oct. 1, 2009. Tour leaders will be Jan Schrock, senior advisor for Heifer International, and Kathleen Campanella, partner and public relations director of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

The tour will begin with several days in Georgia visiting Heifer dairy and rehabilitation projects, with the remaining time spent in Armenia focusing on agricultural developments, youth peace programs, and cultural landmarks. The tour may visit a site of Brethren mission work in Armenia in the early 1900s and commemorate relief work done by the Brethren following the genocide in Armenia.

The cost of $3,500 includes in-country transportation, accommodations, meals, tour guides, workshops, and SOS emergency evacuation insurance. Participants will be responsible for their own air travel to Tbsili, Georgia, and from Yerevan, Armenia. The application process will begin in January. Contact Jan Schrock at jan.schrock@heifer.org to receive an itinerary and application form.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

Church of the Brethren News Service