Dr. Bryan Beyer has guided CIU students on 12 trips to the land of the Bible.  But this summer, as Beyer led the students to the Cliffs of Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee, love was in the air.  There, clinical counseling student Casey Lee proposed to seminary student Bonnie Batson. Bonnie was taken quite by surprise, but joyfully accepted Casey’s proposal.      

Lee and Batson were among 20 CIU students on the three-week study tour of Israel.  Beyer, interim associate dean of the CIU College of Arts and Sciences literally took the students “from Dan to Beersheva” — the biblical expression for Israel’s northern and southern borders--and many places beyond that.  A special treat this year was that much of the central region of ancient Samaria was open, and students were able to visit many places that had not been open since 1999, including Shechem where Joshua challenged Israel, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” in Joshua 24.  Also open was Sychar where Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4.                                                                      

Beyer says the marriage proposal was a first for a CIU Israel study tour. “Maybe this will encourage more couples to come,” Beyer quipped. 

Student Sam Lin on hand to get the proposal photos, as was Beyer and Elisabeth Davis of CIU’s TraveLearn office. Congratulations, Casey and Bonnie!