Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

+JMJ
Christmas, December 2000

NOTE: These webpages brought to you by the Las Vegas Marian Information Center.
With gratitude to the Discalced Carmelites for allowing us to share their photographs on the construction of the Monastery of the Carmel. 
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Greetings to all,

Well, since the Sisters have moved, it's been a typical December in Nebraska. Cold and snow!  When the Sisters arrived last year in October, the temperatures were unseasonably warm.   All through October, November and December of 1999, the temps were nearly identical to the Las Vegas temps.  Last winter was one of the mildest winters on record in Nebraska.  Throughout this summer it's been as dry as Las Vegas.  Since construction began on the monastery, only one day was lost due to weather. We made the comment that God must be easing the Sisters in to the Nebraska climate.  One of my neighbors then said, "As soon as that monastery is built and the Sisters are safe, I bet God will unload on us" ..........  Well, since the Sisters have moved in, temperatures have not risen above freezing for two weeks, we have had two, 8" snowfalls with 40-60 mph winds. We were snowed in yesterday and this morning.   All roads leading to the monastery were drifted shut with 5 foot to 7 foot deep drifts. Wind chills for the past week have been about 35 below zero.  It's the worst weather we've had in over 3 years.  Coincidence?   I think not!!   If the Sisters would have cramped in that farmhouse during these past two weeks, I shudder to think about what life would have been like for them.  40-60 mph wind gusts, blowing snow in to every crack and crevice.   It would have been unbearable. In the new monastery you can barely hear the wind blow. It's built like a fortress. No drafts. Safe and warm.   Thank you Lord for taking care of the Sisters like You do.

I have attached a few photos I took this morning while waiting for the snow plows to open the roads.  It doesn't look like a lot of snow because some areas have had all the snow blown off the ground and drifted elsewhere.  If there would not have been any wind, we would have had about 16" accumulated on the ground.

Construction as you can imagine has slowed considerably. Believe it or not, the bricklayers have been working during the cold spell.  They enclose the area they are working on with tarps and heat it with a propane heater. Work continues slowly on the interior of the Novitiate.  They are also working on the floor of the Refectory, Library, Kitchen and Recreation room.

Please pray for the workers and all those that have to be out in this weather. It can be very treacherous.

Let me know if any of you have any messages that need to get to Sisters before Christmas.  You can e-mail them to me and I will be happy to deliver them to Rev. Mother.

May the Peace of Christ be with you all during this Blessed Season.

Merry Christmas,
Bob & Susan