Merry
Christmas and a Cool Yule to all of y’all,
Julee (Sister Bernhisel) and I are
celebrating our third Christmas in Raleigh North Carolina and we love being
here with our exceptional missionaries and members and the wonderful people of
North Carolina who live in one of the most beautiful areas of the world. Our
mission work is going very well, and quite frankly, we are a little saddened by
the prospect of returning to “normal life” in six months, although we will
never be the same after experiencing the “tender mercies” of being a part of
the work of the Lord and from the changes of joy we’ve seen so readily in so
many people.
It has been a very busy
December with two special Christmas Zone Conferences (three zones each in a North and South Conference) combined with a musical
Christmas program, a Sister Missionary Conference and a Spanish speaking
missionary conference with a visiting General Authority and our Area Authority.
Our missionaries in the musical program of the Christmas Zone Conferences have
amazed us with their talent and enthusiasm. We have ended that program in our
conferences, by something familiar to those who have attended our Bernhisel neighborhood
‘Christmas Family Home Evening’ in Riverview Florida, with my Stille
Nacht/Silent Night story and group singing of Silent Night, accompanied by the
guitar. (You can see us 
A quick update on our kids
and grandkids: We have had four grandchildren born while we have been on our
mission and our daughter Brooke is expecting a little girl in the springtime.
Heidi and Tyler and their four children moved to a new home, a few miles from their old home, to Seneca S.C.. Preston and Karee
and their four children, including Cambelle, born this past March, are in
Dallas Texas. Brooke and Mike and their three children, left the South
(Atlanta) for California this year and a new great job. Their son Ethan was
born just after we came to North Carolina and their new little one, ‘Brooklyn’, will be
born just before we leave. Lyndi and Kevin and their three children live an Acworth
(close to Atlanta) and had little Elsie born in March of this year as well. Jenny
Leigh and Lance are on their way by car to visit us for Christmas with their
three children from their home in Houston Texas. Just over a year ago little
Millie was born. She and all the rest of the grandkids are the sparkles in our
eyes.
As we reflect and
ponder on the spiritual bounties of Christmas, the title of one of my favorite
Christmas Hymns come to mind, ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’. This is an interesting
time in the history of the world where there are so many evidences of Heavenly Father’s
love and merci. These evidences serve to strengthen that faith in the babe born
in the humblest of circumstances in Bethlehem, Jesus the Christ. The same who gave
His life to reclaim and redeem us. In contrast, it is astonishingly evident
that there is a lack of faith and even the secular distain for Godly truths by
the world in large, an absence of which will always be accompanied by ultimate
grief and despair.
“Behold, doth [Jeusus Christ] cry unto any, saying: Depart from
me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the
earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price. Hath he commanded
any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay;
but he hath given it free for all men… Will ye not now
return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?...Yea,
verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.
Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him
will I receive. (2nd Nephi
26:25,26. 3rd Nephi 9:13,14-The Book of Mormon)
Julee and I know that God
lives and is aware of the smallest details, happy or sad, in all of our lives.
We also know that His Son Jesus, is the Christ and through His sacrifice and the
enabling capacities of His atonement, He has not only given us life after
death, but individual growth, happiness and joy in this life. He has also
prepared the pathway to Eternal life, which is life with our Heavenly Parents
and our precious families in the world to come. Isn’t that great?
We love y’all
Marc (President Bernhisel)
and Julee (Sister Bernhisel)
P.S. Great, short,
Christmas videos: 1) Piano guys with David Archuleta “Angles we have hear on
High” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n543eKIdbUI
2) He is the Gift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjFEMmM0Xs
or http://www.mormon.org/christmas
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