How a Winnipegger escaped Israel as war broke out

What was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime to the Middle East took a turn for the worse for a pair of Winnipeggers.

Lucy Antsanen and her husband were on an Exodus tour of Egypt and Israel with a church group when the Israel-Gaza war broke out.

In an interview on Monday, she said they were out touring in Israel when all of a sudden they heard a loud sound, which turned out to be missiles.

“It was surreal. It was like, is this really happening? Like did I really hear that?” she said.

“Is it real that they just announced that they declared war?”

From there the tour returned to the hotel, and decided to travel to Galilee, a region in northern Israel where the situation was safer.

“That’s when we realized that it’s a real war happening,” she said.

“You could hear jets flying over and helicopters and you see tanks being taken to different parts of Israel on semi trucks and you saw soldiers. So that’s when it became real.”

Once they got to northern Israel, Antsanen said they were close to an air force base, so they heard the constant sounds of fighter jets and helicopters.

She added they stayed on alert in case they needed to go into the bomb shelter.

“I chose not to be scared and calm the nerves of my family, my friends out here in Canada, and telling them we’re okay, we’re safe,” she said.

“We’re in the north part and the war’s happening in the south part.”

Antsanen said she knew that she would be able to get out of Israel, she just wasn’t sure how it would happen as she felt flying out of Tel Aviv was too close for comfort.

“Where we are and where the war is happening, it’s like here’s Winnipeg, and here’s Brandon, and that’s how far it is,” she said.

“That’s what I was using to explain to people that we’re okay, we’re safe, but really when you think about it, it’s not that far.”

Antsanen said the leaders of the tour, as well as some of her friends in Canada, were helping her find a way home.

“Our leader that was in Canada in Ontario, and the pastor in B.C., they were working very hard and losing sleep, and being on the phone for four hours trying to get us out safely,” she said.

The group eventually got out to Jordan, flew to Dubai, and then back to Canada.

Antsanen said there was a sense of urgency the night before they left, but once she crossed into Jordan she felt the relief of safety.

“When we went on the bus you could feel that sense of relief without anyone saying it,” she said.

Antsanen noted that she was thankful to land back in Canada this past weekend.

“When we got off [the plane], I literally kissed the floor to say, ‘Hey, freedom,’ she said.

“It’s so valuable to that peace here in Canada.”

Antsanen said she prays for those who will have to continue to live through the war.

“Some of them, they don’t even know where their families are and have nothing,” she said.