about Our company
Sunlight Tours, LLC is here for you and your travel and pilgrimage experiences!
What started as a dream conversation around a landscape model at Masada in the Holy Land, become a dream realized in July of 2019. Rooted in friendship and the desire to offer life changing travel experiences, Sunlight Tours, LLC was founded. Our company continues to be inspired by this dream realized, expanding our travel offerings and experiences all the while staying committed to our company’s core principles. We value travel that is grounded in hospitality and care; providing experiences that are tailored to meet your needs and exceed your expectations. We believe that travel truly changes us and are honored to accompany you on your travel journey.
Here at Sunlight Tours, we offer dynamic itineraries that not only introduce you to your travel destination, but also offer exposure to the deep history and complexity of the land and its people. This includes implementing aspects of spirituality, socio-political realities, and tourism. We work with local partners in each country, who share in the passion for the land, the history, and the people; prioritizing a custom, safe, enjoyable, and transformational experience. We provide expert guides, comfortable transportation, and accommodations to suit your tastes and needs. We can also guide you through the ins and outs of traveling in these parts of the world with as much pre-trip support and accompaniment as you need. Don’t see the itinerary you hoped for? We can help customize a travel experience for you (and your group).
No matter if you are brand new to international travel or are an experienced sojourner, we look forward to providing an excellent experience for you on your travel journeys with us!
“The more I traveled, the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.”
meet our team
SARAH RAYMOND, CO-OWNER AND TRIP DIRECTOR
Sarah Raymond (co-owner and trip director) is a Lutheran Pastor who led her first trip to the Holy Land in 2012. She fell in love with this part of the world and with accompanying people in the life-opening experiences while traveling. Sarah lives in North Dakota with her family. When she’s not working on travel logistics or leading a trip, she loves to garden and take care of her babies (plants and children!).
IYAD KHWEIS, CO-OWNER AND TRIP DIRECTOR
Iyad Khweis (co-owner and trip director) has been working in the travel business for over 20 years. He has a passion for hospitality and a knack for problem solving. He is also a licensed guide and lives with his family in the Holy Land. When he’s not guiding or working on travel, he enjoys fixing things and growing beautiful plants and flowers.
MICHELLE WALKA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Michelle Walka (creative director) is an artist, spiritual director, and loves to travel (especially within the practice of pilgrimage). When she’s not working with Sunlight Tours, Michelle leads contemplative and creative retreat experiences through Beloved Art and Practice. She lives in Minnesota and enjoys lingering with a good cup of coffee, experimenting with a new recipe, and many outdoor adventures with her husband, Keith, and their pup, Rosie.
EMILY HARRIE, SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Emily Harrie (social media director) has had wanderlust for as long as she can remember. Her career has allowed her to travel all over the US and abroad many times. She believes traveling grounds us and connects us all through the sharing of culture, history, faith and food. When not traveling, Emily lives in Colorado with her husband and two pups and enjoys skiing, hiking, pottery and more skiing.
On each Sunlight Tours trip, you’ll be accompanied by a trip director as well as the possibility of trip hosts and program leaders:
What is a Sunlight Tours Trip Director?
A Trip Director is a Sunlight Tours, LLC owner or staff member who travels with you. It is our job to make sure everything runs smoothly and you have an incredible travel experience. We handle the logistics and any travel issues so you can travel without worry. We can also make fun decisions on the fly to add special extras just for you! Our goal and commitment is to make sure the trip is a great experience for all who travel with us.
What is a Trip Host?
A Trip Host is someone who gets a wild and wonderful idea to gather people for a trip. A trip host works with Sunlight Tours, LLC to establish trip dates and an itinerary, and then shares their excitement with the people around them to build a travel group.
Maybe you have a group from church that hopes to travel together. Maybe it’s a family trip. Maybe you are just great at recruiting fun people to do fun things! The trip host often travels for free, but this is determined within the planning stages. During the trip, a trip host may be asked to assist in a few aspects of hospitality, but mostly the trip is theirs to enjoy. If you are interested in being a trip host, let us know. We are happy to visit with you about this travel offering.
What is a Program Leader?
A Program Leader is someone who, in addition to hosting a trip, is also contracted to offer a specific program offering. This includes offering specific teaching within a trip destination, leading a special travel experience, offering pilgrimage and/or practice offerings that deepen your travel experience. Interested in shaping a trip where you can offer your wisdom and gifts? Please reach out. We would love to connect with you!
about our name
In almost every faith, God is light. So we chose the name Sunlight Tours to reflect the presence of God. We believe everyone should have the freedom to practice their religion. We also believe that in order to understand our own faith, we need to learn about our neighbor’s faith. Sunlight shines in when we take the time to learn about each other and honor each other’s story.
What are past travelers saying about us?
“Thank you for the trip of a lifetime. I still can’t believe we got to do this! My wife and I would have never attempted this without you, and my faith in Jesus will never be the same!”