Monday, May 2, 2016

 
With so much going on, finding time to post on this website has been more & more difficult.  But we have so much to write about! 
 
On April 28th, Elisabeth and I took a trip to the Florida Baptist College in Tampa, FL.  I was able to preach to the school chapel and to the college chapel as well.  Then I had the privilege of teaching the Practicum course to the young men.  It was a great time of fellowship and I am glad that the Lord opened up this opportunity.
 
Kami had a very (and I mean very) difficult couple of weeks with her health.  She has been on 4 new medications since I last posted and the doctor said that she is a "guinea pig" right now as they search for answers.  She is doing better today and we praise the Lord for these 'good' days.
 
Here are a few more pics & posts: 
 
Joshua works at the Fort White Hardware store as an assistant manager.  On their Grand Opening to an ACE Hardware, we were invited to set up a booth for a fundraiser.  The ACE Hardware paid for all of the food and drinks.  We simply supplied the workers and sold sausages and drinks for $1 each.  We were also able to pass out our Church tote bags and Gospel tracts as well.  In the end, we were able to raise $584 for our Teen Youth Fund!
 
This is Rod.  When Kami and I were on our way to Peoples Baptist Church in McDonough, GA., we stopped at a gas station where Rod had run out of gas.  I filled up his tank and witnessed to him.  He asked, "What is today's date?"  When I replied, "April 22."    To that he replied, "April 22 is a great day to get saved!"  We bowed our heads and he trusted Christ right there at the gas pump!
 
Bro. Jerry Nye helped us in building this portable baptistry.  The kids were super excited when we started filling it with water!



Mr. Tom is a veteran Army drill instructor.  We met him while knocking on doors and he came to church on Easter Sunday.  He accepted Christ that very morning in our Easter Sunday service!
 
He asked for a Bible and has been coming to church faithfully.  This past Sunday (May 1st) he was baptized in our new portable baptistry!  Afterwards, he said to me, "I want to start going with you on visitation."  Amen!

Here are some of our folks witnessing the baptismal service.


Mr. Abraham is the wife of Mary.  She has been coming for some time now and had said that she doesn't think that she'll ever get her husband to come to church.  Bro. Jerry Nye and I had the great opportunity to lead him to Christ on January 31st while he was in the hospital.  He started coming to church and we gave both he and Mary a new Bible. 

The next step was baptism and he was so excited to do so!  He simply asked us not to drown him!
 
 
This is Mary.  She just giggled and smiled that her husband was getting baptized.  She joined on the same Sunday by testimony.  They are a sweet couple who are eager to learn their Bibles.
 
 
We also had another lady to join this past Sunday, May 1st.  Her name is Mrs. Donna.  Her husband passed away just before Thanksgiving and she wanted to make VSIBC her home.
 
We praise the Lord for what He is doing here in little High Springs, Florida.  Keep praying for us!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Great past week!

Our Easter Service was a great day in the Lord! 
 
We had 62 in services that morning with 5 visitors. 
At the invitation call, 2 precious souls came forward to accept Christ as their Savior! 
 
Here are few pics from Easter Sunday:


These 2 were at our very first Easter Service at VSIBC last year!
 
 

 

 
 
 
The Marine Corps-Vette came to High Springs @ VSIBC!
 
Evangelist Dave Sommerdorf brought his 1992 Marine Corps-Vette to put on display before our Wednesday evening service.  An article was written in our local newspaper about the Vette honoring those who gave their lives in the fight against Terror.
 
We displayed the car from 5:30-6:30 and had quite a few folks come out to see it.

There are over 6,000 names on the trunk alone of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms!
 

 

 

 
Everyone that came received a DVD entitled "A Car, a Country and a Cross" that talks about the car and gives a clear presentation of the Gospel.  Folks also received a Gospel tract and an invitation to church.

Some of our youth enjoying snacks at the car display!  We always have snacks at VSIBC!
 
We had 46 in attendance on our Wednesday evening service after the Vette display.  We honored the 9 veterans in the service and then Bro. Sommerdorf preached an amazing message on the subject of Prayer.  It was a great day!
 
 
 
 

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Picture Update...

 
Here are a few pics of what's been happening at VSIBC!
 
Elisabeth graduated! 

On March 19th, Elisabeth received her diploma and we had her graduation at the church.  It was a great ceremony and we are so proud of her!  You can find more pics and details on my wife's blog at www.adayinthelifeofamissionarywife.blogspot.com

It's been 1 year since the very first service at VSIBC!  We had our 1-year anniversary on March 20th with 92 in services!

 
Dr. Bill Rice III was also in our services.  He attended Elisabeth's graduation service on Saturday and then came for our 1-Year Anniversary service on Sunday morning.

We set up tables and chairs in the shade and enjoyed great fellowship and food after the services.

We had a bounce house for the kids that was a huge hit!


 
We had a children's choir sing for the Big Day and they did a great job!
 

 


 
 
 
 

Friday, March 4, 2016

Updates and Possible Cure!

Here are a few updates from High Springs, FL!

  • Our "Friends & Family Day" was a huge success!  We had 80 in attendance with 1 man saved!  Praise the Lord!

  • We have started a men's Bible study on Monday and now have 4 men at the weekly Bible study.  It has been a great time of Bible study, snacks and ping pong.

  • We had Dr. Bill Rice III with us last Wednesday night and we had 34 in attendance for our mid-week service.  The church gave a $400 love offering that night towards paying for deaf children to go to the Bill Rice Ranch's Deaf Camp this summer, free of charge!  VSIBC has such a giving heart and a love for the Lord.

  • Our 1-Year Anniversary is on March 20th...Wow!  How time flies!



  • Update on Kami's latest doctor appointment & results from more testing:

    Kami has now also been diagnosed with Tularemia, a bacterial infection of which the doctor says she has all of the classic symptoms and which showed positive in her blood test. Her doctor believes that this is the real culprit to Kami's health problems and is also the reason that the Lyme disease has not been successfully treated thus far. Amazingly, of all the antibiotics she has been on, none of them work against the tularemia bacteria. So, Kami is starting a new antibiotic regimen in the morning which could have some pretty nasty side affects.

    Also, after some genetic testing, Kami was found to have a mutated MTHFR gene, which we are told is often found mutated when people cannot heal from Lyme symptoms, etc.  This gene is the one that processes Folic Acid and Complex B vitamins which in turn supports the Immune system to do its job.

    In short, when mutated, folic acid and Vitamin B is turned into ammonia and causes symptoms to worsen and the body to physically 'go down'.  Instead of vitamins helping her, we now know that vitamins were having a reverse affect due to this mutated gene.   The answer to this is simple, she must take 'methylated' forms of both Folic Acid and Vitamin B6 & B12.

    We are hoping that these new findings and treatments will work.  Please remember Kami in your prayers.

    Together serving Him,
    Bro. Patrick Gimenez