Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.”
Luke 1:46-48
Greetings from Carmel
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a blessed Christmas time as we meditate on the meaning of our Saviour’s birth. The Messiah, who is GOD Himself, gave up His nature to take on our likeness (Phil 2: 6-7); to be “GOD with us”; IMMANUEL. May our response to this amazing truth be the same as Mary’s – “I am the Lord’s servant, my soul praises you Lord, my spirit rejoices in You.”
This has been an incredible year of transition, and fruition at Carmel, and we are so grateful for your ongoing support and prayers through it all.
If you are traveling over this period, we pray for safe travels for you and your loved ones.
If you are in George over the school holidays, we welcome you to come by as a day visitor to partake in the many activities available for the whole family or to simply take rest in our gardens and quiet spaces, while admiring the majestic Victoria Bay views. To find out more and book your day visit, please contact us on 044-889-0019.
We are also very excited to have launched The Table Restaurant and Shop, in partnership with Ethnos. At The Table, we envision a space where people can gather around a table to share ideas while enjoying delicious food and coffee – a place where family, community, hospitality and grace is celebrated. The Shop is also filled with delicious treats, ice cream, coffee and drinks and curios for you. Please pop in while you are enjoying the activities, gardens and swimming pool.
GOD bless and keep you and may the new year be filled with the blessings of our Heavenly Father.
Suzanne Mackay
The Carmel Trustees
Greetings from Operations
Over the past couple months, the Carmel and Ethnos teams have been hard at work in preparing the grounds for the season ahead. Our goal is to reach, serve and impact the local George community and the larger Body of Christ.
Together we have been able to commence various projects in working towards this common goal. We have been sharing the progress of these developments on our social channels (Facebook / Instagram) and I want to extend our heartfelt thanks for the many words of encouragement and support being sent from far and wide. You can view last month’s newsletter and the updates on these projects by clicking here.
We are very excited and blessed to be able to introduce to you the opening of The TableRestaurant and Shop. We pray that The Table will be of immense blessings to all who visit Carmel, a place for fellowship and community, while enjoying delicious food and coffee. You can download the dining menu by clicking here.
The Ethnos Skills Development Centre is still on the go and will resume in the new year. The centre will serve the local George community in providing skills in woodwork, maintenance, and building, to equip people to obtain work in these areas.
There is still much work to be done on these current projects and new projects planned for the new year. Please can you keep us in your prayers, for God’s hand to be over the teams at work, in building the grounds for the ministry of God to be glorified for all who visit Carmel.
The team and I look forward to welcoming you to Carmel soon.
God bless,
Wouter Cloete
General Manager
Experience Carmel for the day
The School Holidays are a special time at Carmel, for all to come together for rest and a good amount of holiday fun.
If you are in the George area over the school holidays, we are running 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).
For enquiries around the daily activities and to book your day visit, please keep an eye on our Facebook page or call reception on 044 889 0019. The day visitor fees are R50/adult and R40/child (under 12 years).
To experience the December school holidays at Carmel, watch our December holiday highlights video below.
2024 Fresh Start Getaway Specials
Sometimes we need a holiday from the holidays. A time to rest and restore for the new year ahead.
Take advantage of our Fresh Start Getaway Specials from the 7th–31st January 2024. We have specials for Camping and B&B accommodation.
Contact reception on 044-889-0019 or email us at bookings@carmelmail.co.za to book your Fresh Start Getaway experience.
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 refocus for the year ahead. 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 Prayer Room
If you would like to be a part of the Wednesday Prayer Room, we pray in the chapel every Wednesday morning from 07h00 – 08h00. If you are not able to join, we have created a dedicated email newsletter which you can sign-up on the link below and we will keep you updated.
We pray that God may continue to fill our guests with renewed hope, enthusiasm and restoration. We pray that Carmel will continue to be fruitful place, bringing the much needed restoration our guests are seeking and that God’s blessings may be poured over them. May God’s presence be at Carmel as it is in heaven.
We would love for you to partner with us in prayer for Carmel. Please continue to hold the staff of Carmel and the Carmel Community in prayer.
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.