“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”
Exodus 34: 6
Greetings from Carmel
Christmas is a time to celebrate that GOD’s unchanging will has always been to dwell with us. The Lord, Immanuel became a man to be Christ with us, pay the penalty for sin, and ultimately win the victory, for us to live the life of “Christ in us”. The Christmas story shows that He wants to be known by us and to reveal His unchanging character to us.
Throughout the scriptures we see examples how GOD used every opportunity to reveal Himself to His people. Every experience, either good or bad, causing laughter or weeping, hurting or healing, is an opportunity for us to know GOD more. A chance to see another aspect of His character and His heart for us.
We pray that as you enter this festive season, whether you are spending time with loved ones, whether you are grieving a loss, whether it is your busiest time or whether you able to have a rest, that you will see Jesus more clearly, experience Him near to you and you may know more of His character and is immeasurable love for you.
If you are in the area over the holiday period, we would love to welcome you to visit for the day. The School Holiday Programme is running until the 4th January and is filled with activities for kids and adults too. We also welcome you to come visit The Table Restaurant at Carmel for delicious food and coffee, while enjoying fellowship around the tables. Read more below.
May GOD bless and keep you and your loved ones. We send our love to you all, from Carmel.
Suzanne Mackay
The Carmel Trustees
The year-end 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 programme at Carmel has begun and will be running through to the 4th January. Join the Carmel team for 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). See the holiday programme below for 15-22 December and keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for activity updates.
It’s not too late to stay over at Carmel over the holiday season. The Christmas to New Year week is almost fully booked across B&B and camping. If you miss this week, we still have a good number of available spaces for next week and the first few weeks in January. Be sure to book your camping or B&B accommodation soon to ensure you don’t miss out on these special times at Carmel.
If you are in the area, day visitors are welcome to join at R50p/p per day. Please call reception prior on 044-889-0019 or email bookings@carmelmail.co.za to book as day visitor spaces are limited.
To experience School Holidays at Carmel, watch our school holiday’s video below.
The Table Restaurant & Shop
It’s been a year since The Table Restaurant and Shop opened to our Carmel guests. The Table 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. On Christmas day, we are hosting a special celebration lunch and all are welcome to join.
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. Our sites are divided into small (1-2 people), medium (2-6 people), and large (4-8) to suit your booking requirements.
All sites have electricity and braai facilities and are close to the separate ladies and men’s ablutions which are serviced daily.
Experience Carmel Camping by watching our video below. For bookings, contact reception on 044-889-0019 or email bookings@carmelmail.co.za
Pathfinder-Impact Gap Year Program
We are so excited to share the news with you of the launch of the Pathfinder-Impact Gap Year Program in February 2025, hosted at Carmel.
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. The curriculum is built on the Prothesis Blueprint as used by Target Life.
With all the noise and confusion of today’s world, they 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 our goal is to disciple and empower our 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
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.