What started as a spiritual getaway for a Lake Geneva congregation has turned into an open-ended layover in a conflict zone. About 30 members of Lakeland Community Church are stuck in Jerusalem after their return flight was canceled when much of the region’s airspace shut down amid U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory missile barrages. The pilgrimage group is safe, but their final days have featured more sirens and stairwells than sightseeing, with travelers describing repeated alerts, sheltering in concrete corridors and holding prayer services in underground bunkers.
Stuck In Jerusalem
According to WISN, the group, led by Pastor Josh Amstutz, had been scheduled to fly home Wednesday before learning their flights were canceled as airlines abruptly halted service. Amstutz told the station that when warning sirens sound, the travelers move to designated safe spots and, when possible, turn the tense pauses into brief worship gatherings in underground bunkers. “We’ve made good friends with the stairwell buddies,” he said, describing late-night sirens that send hotel guests filing into stairwells to wait things out.
Flights And Airspace Shutdown
Commercial airspace across large parts of the Middle East has been closed, and carriers have scrambled to cancel or suspend flights, leaving thousands of passengers in limbo, as reported by CBS News. Flight-tracking services have logged hundreds of cancellations, and Israeli authorities temporarily shut Ben Gurion International Airport, cutting off a primary exit route and forcing travelers to hunt for indirect paths home. Some carriers and Israeli airlines have outlined plans for recovery operations and possible rescue rotations once airspace is deemed safe again, according to Ynet.
Violence Close To Where The Group Is Sheltering
The travel upheaval has unfolded alongside deadly strikes inside Israel. Near Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, a missile impact killed multiple people and injured dozens, according to rescue services and local reporting cited by The Guardian. Emergency crews combed through rubble and treated the injured, a grim backdrop to government advisories urging foreign nationals to leave while commercial flights are still available.
What Residents At Home Are Doing
Back in Walworth County, Lakeland Community Church lists Pastor Josh Amstutz as its lead pastor and serves as the main information hub for anxious families waiting for updates. The church’s leadership details and address are posted on its website, and staff members have been fielding calls and messages as the situation shifts day by day. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem moved to an “authorized departure” posture this week, advising personnel that they could leave if they chose, a step that helped fuel demand for outbound seats, according to reporting from AP. Church leaders told WISN they are staying in close contact with members abroad and asking congregants at home to keep praying while they wait for confirmed rebooked flights.
Wider Pattern And Next Steps
The Wisconsin group is far from alone. Other American pilgrim contingents have reported similarly surreal scenes. An Episcopal group from Connecticut sheltered in a Jerusalem church, then managed to cross into Jordan, according to CT Insider. In Michigan, members of a Metro Detroit congregation also scrambled for shelter as sirens rang out, WWJ reported.
For the Lake Geneva travelers, the next chapter depends on when Israeli airspace reopens and how quickly airlines can restore normal routes or roll out dedicated rescue flights and alternative itineraries. Those options, outlined in reporting by Ynet, remain contingent on a security situation that, at least for now, keeps a church group from southern Wisconsin unexpectedly camped out in one of the most volatile cities on earth.
