As the monks and Foundation kneel before the manger this Christmas, we will especially be praying for a Christmas miracle. The monks' present monastery is so wonderfully crowded with young vocations that there is no room left in chapel, dining room, and the many other common places of the monastery. The Foundation has worked very hard to raise the funds, but the costs of construction in a remote location, coupled with our need to build for a thousand years have outpaced our financial resources. If we are to break ground in the spring, as the monks are hoping, we beg for your charity this Christmas.

Christmas is truly a season of miracles as we recall the great miracle of our dear Lord's Nativity. Let us now beg God for the miracle of the funds so desperately needed to build the monks a permanent, fitting home in the contemplative silence of Wyoming's gorgeous Rocky Mountains. We have each been blessed by the hand of God with so many good things; if you can help in a special way at the end of this year of our Lord 2010, please do so. I assure you that your gift will be used directly for the most critical needs allowing us to proceed towards construction. TOGETHER we can build this monastery for God's glory and these devout, hidden men of prayer and sacrifice! God bless you a thousand times over for the goodness inspired in your hearts!

As Advent now draws to a close, the monks prepare their Carmel for the joys of Christmas! After our Advent preparations, we now journey with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to Bethlehem.

Dear Friends, may your Christmas be one of untold blessings and graces. How grateful we are as the Board of Directors for your immense goodness and kindness this past year! Without your love, we would not be able to continue preparing to build the monks a monastery. A thousand thanks to each of you for such tremendous charity!

Please be certain that this very night at Midnight Mass, on Christmas Day and throughout the whole of Christmastide the monks and the Board will be remembering your intentions in prayer. We have absolute confidence that the Baby Jesus born on Christmas Night shall pour into your homes the most marvelous graces in gratitude for all that you have done. May the prayerful greetings of our Wyoming Carmelites fill you with joy!

To each of you, a holy and blessed Christmas! Praised be Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary!

As you may well imagine, the snow has stopped road construction for the moment, but we have the road carved in by God's goodness. May God bless Harris Trucking of Cody, Wyoming for helping us.

Now we turn to the other utilities yet to install, namely electricity and natural gas (a cost efficient source of heat for the monastery in addition to geothermal and renewable energy sources). By God's loving Providence, and your prayers, we have received two donations to completely cover the cost of installing both electricity and natural gas. This brings us yet one step closer to groundbreaking.

Please pray that the Wyoming winter will allow us to install these utilities...at the moment there is much snow at the New Mount Carmel, so a bit of warm weather would be a real blessing!