Merry Christmas Y'all from Raleigh North Carolina
I would suspect that the infamous Bernhisel missive that shows up in your swollen mail boxes at this time of the year, has had at least a ten year life span. Well, mailboxes around the world are now rejoicing with the news that one less letter will be coming. However, there will be one more blog out there clogging the arteries of virtual space. Generally, I am greeting you from the south side of the Alafia river in Riverview Florida. Instead, we are are on the east side of Falls of Neuse road in Raleigh.

Julee and I were called to be the Mission President and companion to go to the Thailand-Bangkok mission in November 2011 for the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). I proceeded to brush off my declining Thai vocabulary that I learned as a young missionary and headed for Thai language mastery with a wonderful tutor (recently returned Thai missionary) from the Missionary Training Center in  Provo Utah via Skype twice weekly. Julee began her Thai proficiency the same way. Together we also studied the heavenly inspired book Preach My Gospel . We also began to store and pack such critical necessities  in rare supply in Thailand such as black Australian licorice, lip balm and Peppermint Life Savers for the three year commitment.

All was going well into the spring of 2012. We were saying our  goodbyes to friends, neighbors, church members, doctors, nurses and my patients. Gertrude, the less then brilliant cardinal, got a scholarship to Florida State University and left us. Buttons opted for celestial cat nip in heaven leaving her grouchy friend Scooby as the only cat in the Bernhisel garage and even Lucy, our blind, incontinent Bassett hound dog decided that heavenly belly rubs and dog bones with her buddies Bubba and Skippy beat the telestial ones hands down and left us as well.

Now the real drama occurred. I got hit by a car while road biking. Nothing too bad-some bruises, a scrapped up hand and a bent bike. However, it was the next week when fate hit us hard. Julee had a tennis  ball sized blood clot in her brain on the right side. I discovered her almost unconscious in bed, took her to the emergency room and she had brain surgery to remove the clot at 2 am in the morning. Prayers were answered and she made it through the surgery. She was in the ICU for three days and the hospital for eight days. To see her two weeks later and  now, one would have to believe in Godly miracles.

We did get our call transferred to the North Carolina-Raleigh mission. We had loved our stay in Durham during my endocrine/infertility fellowship at Duke University. Julee quickly regained her strength and  has been a tremendous companion overseeing the health of all the missionaries and so many other tasks that I have delegated to her. The missionaries adore her, particularly when she calls them up to sing "Happy Birthday to You" to them. She comes to all the conferences and interviews and participates in teaching.   She is the organizer, chef, and confidant to  up to twenty new missionaries that stay at our home their first night infield and to all that  come to the mission home who are leaving  our mission after completing their time here.

We love our missionaries and the work the we do here.   It is delightfully exhausting. We have had missionaries from all over the U.S., and from Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Sri Lanka, Columbia, Kirabati and Vanuatu. We just finished speaking in 8 stake conferences so it seems that with training and interviewing all over the eastern half of North Carolina, we are not home bodies by any means.

The Bernhisel clan are doing well.   Heidi and Tyler live in beautiful Walhalla South Carolina with their 4 kids Mckenzie, Savannah, Christian and Jackson. Heidi and the kids came up in early November when the fall leaves were still a blaze in beautiful colors.   Preston and Karee moved into a new beautiful home in Dallas. We are looking forward to seeing our "Grands"-Cole, Carter and Caroline  in March.   Brooke and Mike are in the process of moving from Walhalla back to Atlanta for a change in Mike's job. Leila and Andee have a new XY sibling, Ethan, who was born in July. We have had to relegate ourselves to missing some baby blessings and some baptisms in our three years. We do not leave our mission unless their is a significant issue.   Lyndi and Kevin are in Atlanta as well. Annie also has a new brother  Rhet (named after my little brother Rhet) who was born in April of this year.   Jenny Leigh, Lance and their two boys David and Gavin are back in Houston. Lance pitched for the Durham Bulls Triple A team last summer and we attended one of his games with our senior missionaries (and he was the winning pitcher!). They lived in Durham which is in our mission.

Well, there were no climbs or great adventures this year other the most important adventure of serving our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. We love what we are doing now and for the next two and a half years.  We are excited to be working with an ever enlarging  missionary force, particularly young sister missionaries. Maybe all that time working with women at home and at work will pay dividends.
Have a truly wonderful Christmas and the best New Year remembering the blessings which we all   have,  none more great then through the atonement of Christ, giving us peace in this life and the opportunity of being with our families through eternity in the next life.
Love Marc and Julee Bernhisel