“Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.”
Ephesians 3:20
Greetings from Carmel
As we come to the beginning of a new year, we reflect on the year that has been. For Carmel, it has been a season of repentance, renewal and revitalisation. This is most evident in the physical where the buildings have received some much-needed refurbishments and the gardens have been pruned, weeded and replanted. We are so grateful to all the teams that have poured their resources and efforts into making this a reality.
These shifts in the physical are maybe a fitting reflection of what has been happening on the spiritual and interpersonal levels. We have borne witness to how by God’s mighty power within us and within Carmel. He has been able to transform. We thank GOD for how He has guided each step and provided everything needed for Carmel to move into this new season. He remains faithful and in Him we place our trust for the year ahead.
We thank Wouter (our GM), Ethnos Ministry International (our on-site partner) and the teams surrounding them for the immense efforts they have put into this past holiday season, blessing every family that came to stay. There was indeed a sense of GOD’s presence in our midst. It is with great anticipation that we look forward to a year of welcoming families, church groups and conferences and special events onto our beautiful grounds.
We pray for each of you, that this year may be blessed, in the name of Jesus our Saviour. We are immensely grateful for the community that surrounds Carmel, and we hope to see you soon!
God Bless
Suzanne Mackay
The Carmel Trustees
Greetings from Operations
The last month at Carmel has been an incredible time for our full house of guests, and the blessings we as a team were given to provide the full Carmel hospitality experience.
Being my first festive season, it was a gift to meet and welcome new guests, generation long guests, couples, individuals, families, and day visitors. Also being the school holidays, the days were filled with activities for all ages of kids to partake in and we created a short highlights video below for you to experience what went on.
This is also a time to rest and restore from the year past. Our many quiet places, Victoria Bay views and garden trails were always there to find the rest (spiritual, emotional, and physical) which our guests have come to know and seek during their visits to Carmel.
On Christmas day, our chapel was blessed by over 100 guests to hear the Word of God and to give worship to our saviour, Jesus Christ. This was led by our Christmas Day lunch with a full dining hall and outdoor deck to enjoy our dining experience.
It was also a time of great excitement to see the season opening of the revitalised Kaye’s Café. The daily cappuccinos were flowing, and the treats, milkshakes and light lunches were delicious too.
Another highlight was welcoming in the New Year with our potjie and braai night. While the kids were entertained with various activities, I got to join the fiercely contested potjie contest and to spend time hearing the stories of what brought our guests to Carmel.
All this would not have been possible, without the provisions of God to prepare Carmel for this season, and for tireless work of the permanent team and the Friends of Carmel and Ethnos Ministry teams who volunteered their time. To everyone, I give my sincere thanks and gratitude.
The season has been a reflection on the revitalised and renewed experience of all that Carmel has to offer. In previous newsletters, I have reflected on the many revitalisation projects that took place in lead up to the year end. We still have much work to do, and our prayer is for God to lead us in the work to be done in 2023.
I pray for a year of God’s blessings upon the Carmel community and team, and we look forward to welcoming you to Carmel soon.
Wouter Cloete
General Manager
Carmel is a place of choice through our large variety venues and accommodation options and the numbers of people we can host to serve a wide variety of group retreats, conferences, weddings and events.
Experience the breathtaking views of Victoria Bay and our beautiful gardens and venues to make your group visit an experience to remember.
The 2023 School Holidays are an incredible time for kids of all ages and parents to come together at Carmel for fun and daily activities run by the Carmel Team.
The 2023 School Holiday Schedule is below:
1 April – 11 April
Easter Weekend 7 -10 April
24 June – 17 July
30 September – 9 October
16 December – 15 January 2024
Prayer Room December Highlights
If you would like to be a part of the Wednesday Prayer Room, we pray in the chapel every Wednesday morning from 06h30 – 07h30. 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 asked the Lord to help us keep our eyes on what is important and lasting, to help us invest in what will last and be wise in what we are setting our sights on. We want the Lord’s eyes to be our guide.
Psalm 27:8
“You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your greatest need]. My heart says to You, Your face, O Lord, will I seek.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
“Because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.”
Psalm 32:8
“I hear the Lord saying, I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide.”
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.