Vision Tours' founder and tour leader, Dr. John Rude, learned the value of cross-cultural contact at an early age. As a U.S. Army dependent, he was born in Panama, and lived in Japan and Germany as a child. He joined the Peace Corps in the year of its founding (1962), and served as a teacher near the border of Sudan and Eritrea.

Rude discovered a talent for languages, learning Arabic, Tigrinya, Italian, German and French. In 1992 he was selected by the African American Institute as a monitor for Ethiopia's first national election. A tour of war-ravaged Eritrea led to an assignment with Eritrea's Ministry of Education and formation of the Thirst for Learning Foundation. Over a period of several years the Foundation sent 100,000 books to Eritrea.

In following years Rude led tours of Americans on 14-day tours of historical sites in Ethiopia and Eritrea. References from earlier travelers can be requested by sending e-mail to Dr. Rude johnrude@sbcglobal.net.

Currently Dr. Rude teaches English at East Los Angeles College. His positive reputation as a tour leader, reinforced by friendship with Africans from many countries, led to plans for the January 2005 Vision Tour to Libya.