
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”
Matthew 18: 2-5
Greetings from Carmel
The image of a child on Jesus’ lap has been on my heart for a few weeks. A parallel account to the above passage (from Mark 9: 36-37) speaks of Jesus taking the child into his arms. The Matthew passage continues to describe Jesus welcoming children to come to Him and laying His hands on their heads to bless them (Matthew 19: 13-15). Jesus encourages His disciples to become like little children in the attitude of their hearts.
We are encouraged to turn away from our pride and entitlement, from our tendencies for comparison and judgement. We should choose rather to set our minds and hearts on gratitude for His salvation, on repentance and the posture of humility. He welcomes us into His presence, to sit on His lap with His protective arms surrounding us, and to receive His blessing.
The end of year school holidays were an immensely blessed time for all our guests over the period. There were fun activities for all ages, along with evening worship, devotional times and plenty time to rest and restore for the year ahead. The presence of God was truly felt over the period. School Holidays are a special time at Carmel and you can read more about the 2025 holiday programmes below. We are also excited about the 2025 Ministry Programmes, with further details below.
The Table Restuarant at Carmel has been a incredible blessing to our guests and day visitors. We welcome you to visit and experience our delicious food and coffee, while enjoying fellowship around the tables. More on the Table at Carmel can be read below.
GOD bless and keep you all,
Suzanne Mackay
The Carmel Trustees
Experience School Holidays in 2025

Easter Weekend: 18 – 21 April 2025
June/July Holidays: 28 June – 21 July
October Holidays: 4 October – 12 October
December/January Holidays: 15 December – 11 January
School Holidays are a special time at Carmel, for all to come together for rest and a good amount of holiday fun.
The school holiday bookings fill up fast so be sure to book your camping or B&B accommodation soon to ensure you don’t miss out on these memorable times at Carmel.
On select days, the Carmel team run daily activities for kids of all ages and adults too… and for rest and restoration, our garden walks, many quiet spaces and chapel are perfect to gain the rest you may need (spiritual, emotional and physical).
To experience School Holidays at Carmel, watch our December holiday highlights video below.
To book your camping or B&B accommodation, contact the office on 044-889-0019 or email bookings@carmelmail.co.za
The Table Restaurant at Carmel

The Table at Carmel has been an immense blessing to our guests, stay-over and day visitors, to have a space of fellowship and connecting over delicious food and coffee.
The daily menu is filled with options for all and the Sunday lunch gathering has become a Carmel tradition each week with a set menu.
For more information and to make a reservation, you can call The Table on
079-538-4722 or email thetable.carmel@ethnosmi.org.
We look forward to serving you soon!
Experience Carmel Camping
Experience the beauty of Carmel’s Camping and Caravan Park, while enjoying the magnificent Victoria Bay and Outeniqua mountain views, resting in our quiet spaces and many activities too. Also visit the “The Table Restaurant” for your coffee fix, treats lunch and dinner during your stay.
Whether you are a single camper, couple, family, or group, we welcome you to our camping experience.
Experience Carmel Camping by watching our video below. For bookings, contact reception on 044-889-0019 or email bookings@carmelmail.co.za
Greetings from the Ministry Team
We are so excited to share the news with you of the launch of the Pathfinder-Impact Gap Year Program, hosted at Carmel. Registrations for the year close on 1 March. Read more below.
In September, we will be running the Prime Plus week and the Women’s Retreat is in planning for July/August. Our Pastor’s Appreciation Retreat (read more below) will run across the regular season.
To be notified of further details once available, you can sign up to our ministry newsletterand also keep an eye on our Ministry webpage. It will be our privilege to welcome you to one of our upcoming ministry events.
God bless,
The Carmel Ministry Team

Pathfinder-Impact is a transformative discipleship Gap Year program founded by Gavin and Nicky Lloyd, and Johann and Naomi Verster from the OutdoorEco team.
Based on Romans 8:37: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”, their vision is to awaken a generation to thrive through traditional family values and be empowered to lead well in life through a Biblical foundation, identity and clear purpose. They do this through facilitating a personal development gap year program for young adults (18- to 24-year-olds) built around transformative lifestyle discipleship, vocation and life skills, disciplines, and team adventure experiences, helping them to become the leaders of tomorrow with faith and a Biblical Kingdom worldview. Their curriculum is built on the Prothesis Blueprint.
With all the noise and confusion of today’s world, we believe that one year of intentional wholistic growth is the key to unlocking this generations true potential, leadership ability, identity and clarity of purpose – to thrive in life. There is alarming research, showing a major falling away from faith for this age group within their first year of university, and their goal is to disciple and empower students to walk out their faith with resilience to the secular culture of the times, but in a fun and lifestyle approach.
If you have children, grandchildren, friends or church communities with young adults who need a transformative year in their life, please share the news with them. You can find out more at https://pathfinder-impact.com, email at info@pathfinder-impact.com or call on 071-183-2631


We desire to provide our appreciation for the integral role of all pastors in spreading the ministry of Christ, our Saviour to the world. During the regular season, we welcome all pastors and their spouse to take a time of rest (emotional, physical and spiritual) at Carmel to restore and reconnect.
There is a special rate offered for a 2 night stay, including Sea View accommodation, breakfast and dinner for 2 people sharing.
The time is not a organised retreat but a time for you to take rest at a time that suits your schedule, within the loving community of Carmel.
If you are a pastor or would like to sponsor a couple’s retreat, please contact the Carmel office on 044-889-0019 or email bookings@carmelmail.co.za to find out more.
Experience our Group Hospitality

Break away from the bustle of life to experience Carmel for your next group retreat, conference or day-event.
Come together for a time of restoration, networking and growth. Make your group visit an experience to remember through our range of accommodation, dining and meeting venues, while enjoying our breath-taking Victoria Bay views, beautiful gardens and quiet spaces too.
Carmel's ongoing legacy

The shared testimonies over the many years of Carmel’s history inspire confidence. God continues to be at work and use Carmel for His ministry. So many leave rested, encouraged, and restored, by the love of Jesus. The ripple effects of Carmel continue into eternity. All praise be to God!
In being able to continue the work of Carmel for future generations to come, we are seeking our valued guests and friends of Carmel for donations or bequests, in leaving a legacy into Carmel’s future. There are many specific projects we have on our hearts to implement the mission of Carmel, and many ways in which to become involved.
If being a part of Carmel’s legacy is on your heart, we would love to share our vision and projects with you in more detail and how you can be a part of Carmel’s bright future.