Living Faith Journal

New Family Picture

2007-12-14T10:38:00.000-05:00

After three months of bed rest, Kristen was ready for fun day trip to a nearby German tourist colony called Villa General Belgrano. The ice cream was awesome and we had a great day!!

Parque... dos

2007-04-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday in Parque Sarmiento

2007-04-09T14:17:00.000-04:00

The 12 steps of an Asado (better than any 12 steps I've ever heard)

2006-08-09T15:33:00.000-04:00

Step 1: Have friends like Elizabet (Lichi), whose father is a great asador (bar-b-q man), and who also happens to have a log cabin in the sierras near Cordoba! Then hop on a bus with your friends and neighbors on Sunday morning to travel past Carlos Paz and into the sierras.

Step 2 (after arrival): Make a fire in an outdoor handmade brick oven

Step 3: Prepare the meat

Step 4: Place some of the meat in the oven for that smoked sausage flavor.

Step 5: Look hungry

Step 6: Smell the delicious goodness that will soon be entering into your mouth.

Step 7: Act like you are making a difference

Step 8: Stare in utter amazement

Step 9: Eat, but don't take a picture because you will have to put down your fork and knife

Step 10: Try to take a siesta with a crying baby who had his siesta during the partaking of the delicious goodness... Praise be to God!

Step 11: Drink some great camp coffee, before jaunting off on a

two hour hike through the sierras.

Step 12: Thank God for a refreshing time, and for giving a great idea of returning for a camp out with more people we are reaching out to.

Maté

2006-08-09T15:30:00.000-04:00

I don't know how we live in the U.S. without maté... maybe we are not really living?

Happy Moments of Life

2006-08-09T15:12:00.000-04:00

One of the lakes in Valle de Calumuchita, outside of the city of Cordoba

The Waterfall at a German Colony called "La Cumbrecita"

We took the short-term team there as part of Christmas in July... later we also had a secret santa gift exchange.

IS ARGENTINA COMMUNIST?

2006-07-28T13:10:00.000-04:00

Thousands flocked to hear Hugo Chavez, dictator/president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (which is what he changed the name to along with the flag), Fidel Castro of Cuba and the Bolivian president who is equally as bad. This picture is what we saw from our balcony. There is a huge anti-american sentiment here along with an even greater distaste for Bush and capitalism. Pray that we will be light and not have to meddle into idol conversations about this ridiculous situation.

This sign was posted right near us in our neighborhood. Imagine if this was posted next to your local Starbucks or Coffee Underground. How would you feel?

Translation:

Welcome brothers of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia

Out with imperialism in Latin America

For a Argentina without unemployment, exclusion, poverty, discrimination and dependency.

Communist Party Cordoba

Merienda time

2006-07-28T12:57:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we get together with friends and neighbors for tea and maté in the afternoon. This is a great time to learn about our new friends and share life together. Merienda usually starts at 5 or 6 and can go up to like 8 or so. That is why dinner is at 9 or 11. Our friends from left to right are: Javier, Noelia from apartment 4b, Gaby from 3a, Mary Lu from 4b, and Kristen and Coen.

Mary Lu was named after the Virgin Maria de Lujan, because she was considered a miracle baby and her parents had prayed to the Virgin for help. Noelia and Mary Lu are sisters from Santa Cruz, a province in the south. They are here studying for the next 7 to 8 years. Javier always hangs out with us to practice English. He also comes to the English Bible study on Thursdays.

Some of his latest photogenia

2006-07-28T12:23:00.000-04:00

Ready for La Iglesia

I love my new block car.

I love to look at the people, cars and dogs below to let them know I am up here.

Hey feet!

Am I cute or what?

Ok people. I have been standing for a while now. This picture is so two weeks ago. Don't get that impressed. Now I am in to letting go. It is so cool because in mind I know how to walk... well... I just need to work on something mommy calls balance!

Stolen glory!!

2006-07-22T18:14:00.000-04:00

I stole this picture from Scott's blog. i didn't think of taking my camera to the big game. we always have a blast playing... win or lose or tie, which is where the current standings are for the teams i have been playing on... 1-1-1. The most important is that we are getting to hang out with some guys and get poked in the eye while going up for a header... notice the left eye has a little black under it. I almost scored on that play, but I could only see from one eye during the follow-up shot. thankfully, the shiner didn't last even through the night.

Hungry for the Word!

2006-07-13T17:31:00.000-04:00

It's never too early to teach your child about the word, especially when he is so hungry for it.

Throw away your watch

2006-07-09T11:27:00.000-04:00

Do you know how long an Argentine asado takes? If you arrive at 10pm expecting the meat to be already on the grill, then you do not understand the culture. If you are told that the meat will only take one hour to cook, then you do not understand the art of asado. Last night, we began to eat at 1am. Thankfully Kristen and I decided earlier that I would go with the team without her and Coen, while they hung out with Gabi. Now, if you think that beginning to eat at 1 am means that you will be done definitely by 2am, then you have forgotten that an asado is more than just a steak or some chicken on the barbi... First comes the blood sausage, then the chorizo (regular sausage), then you get some ribs, and then some brisqet. Just when you think you can't eat anymore, the backstrap and pork comes off the grill, followed by the kidneys and intestines. If you are feeling really queasy, it is not as bad as it sounds. When I looked at the clock on the wall it was 3:30... but sitting where you are it probably seems like a really long time to eat an asado, but then you have forgotten about the time warp in this great country, where people celebrate new found friendships over a dead cow, and a watch is just big honkin' piece of jewelry.

The Other Side of Crisol 305

2006-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Crisol 305 departmento 3b

2006-07-04T16:13:00.000-04:00

This is the building where our apartment is. We live on the 3rd floor,

which is really on the 4th floor by US standards.

You may be able to tell that we live in a busy area. it is a great location where many young professionals live and it is about 2 blocks from the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba.

From the sign you can see what is near us:

Centro = downtown

Terminal de omnibus = Bus Terminal

Parque Sarmiento = Sarmiento Park

Casa de Gobierno = Government House

Feliz Dia de Independencia

2006-07-04T15:53:00.000-04:00

"For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" Romans 5:17.

What a great verse! Many here are hearing this message of Grace. Thanks for your prayers. Happy 4th of July! We are celebrating with dogs and burgers on the grill at Scott's tonight.

The Life and Times of the Fulfs

2006-07-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

Coen, a few weeks ago, before he was crawling.

Coen likes his new high chair after not having one for a while.

Now he is crawling everwhere... he loves the new couch.

He discovered where his books are.... and now he is pulling up on everything.

We are having a good time in the ministry too. We had a pizza party in our new apartment last night. Gabi, our new neighbor, is sitting with her legs "indian style" on the chair... she is a blessing to us and we are praying for her to know Christ personally. Tonight, we are helping our other neighbor, Fernando, move and then playing midnight soccer with the guys we have met.

The Best First Father's Day EVER!

2006-06-20T11:15:00.000-04:00

Coen is crawling!! He is fully recovered from his sickness and is eating with a healthy appetite. I couldn't ask for more from a little guy on my first Father's Day. He started crawling on Friday just a day before we left for the spiritual retreat with the church on Calle Rincon. He is now in to everything that his little body can reach. I decided that I would no longer look to buy him any toys. I will just look for an old box. He played with an old box for about a half hour the other day. He was picking it up, turning it over and opening the flap back and forth, just to see how it all works.

Kristen, Coen and I went to Embalse for the retreat which is one of the pueblos that we, along with Dan, Millie and others, have evangelized in the past, while Kristen and I were making plans for our wedding. The contrast on Sunday morning was amazing. On one end of the hotel was a Catholic sanctuary with a service just starting as i came down to participate in the Lord's Supper. On the other end was where the Church was meeting to celebrate our Lord. The difference of the worship was astounding. In the cathlolic church there was what sounded like mangled noise, and in our worship... sweet communion!

"If not for Your salvation, where would I be...
I would be like a bird fallen limp on the ground... A deer panting for the water brook in the middle of a desert....

Wi-fi my-life

2006-06-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

Watching the Copa Mundial at "my" Wi-fi café... (I say mine because normally there is no one here except me and sometimes Scott in the mornings). Argentina is beating Serbia-MonteNegro 3 to 0 at the half... an almost impossible feat to overcome. Argentina had "tres golasos" in the first half that marked the difference between the teams. But my thought... in a place that only seems to pause when there is a world cup game or drinking maté, how do we insert the gospel in to those things. The answer: we don't. We set ourselves apart. We already look different, now we must show them that in Christ we are different. That is not to say that we refuse to watch the world cup to study the Bible, or we pass up the maté when the server hands it to us, but being led by the Spirit we live out an example of Christ in the midst of them.
One of the Serbian players just received a red card for flying in with both cleats up! Sometimes life comes at you that way... how we handle it... es la cosa!

Slower than mass at the Vatican on Christmas Eve

2006-06-15T09:53:00.000-04:00

We got the apartment. I never knew what a challenge it would be to actually get into a place. We agreed on the apartment yesterday, but we will not get the keys until Tuesday. In a city where taxis never slow down and the lanes on the street mean nothing, it is amazing how slow the process is. We are excited though. Especially Kristen... she is excited about furnishing, painting and decorating. Also, our new neighbor Gabi is excited that we are moving in. She told me yesterday that someone else looked at the apartment, and she was hoping that we would still get it.

We are mainly excited to get into our own place so Coen can get back on a schedule. He has suffered the most from this move.

We have two days to find furniture. This weekend we are going to a spiritual retreat with the church on the outskirts of town. We will be back Monday, and then we begin the move on Tuesday. The first task is to take out the monstrosity of an entertainment center that is there. They were trying to rent it with that kind of furniture in the living room and bedroom, but it is so big there is hardly anywhere to sit. Scott is in his apartment, but he is still waiting for the eletricity, which is a 2-3 day process. Apparently it is a very difficult and well thought out process to flip a switch.

more ramblings... in Cordoba

2006-06-13T18:12:00.000-04:00

It went well on Saturday night, as I preached in Malvinas. Jorge, who is 24, was visiting for the first time and came to talk to me to confess his sin (kinda like a priest). after talking to him a little while I got Ruben, who is the pastor there, to meet him and to begin counseling him. after a long while talking to him, he was definitely feeling comfortable with us and God was working on his heart. pray for him as he has been shackin up with a married woman for the last 3 years and is a part of her and her daughters lives. pray that he would leave his sin and turn to Christ for forgiveness and ultimately for His peace.

we are still trying to get into an apartment. it has been tough to find one that is suitable for our family. we are still waiting on an answer about one we saw yesterday. we met the girl living next door and we have been able to reach out to her a couple of times already. she seems very open, but we have not gotten into the gospel with her yet. right now we are just trying to show her Christ, and share bits of truth when appropriate. Her name is Gabi (short for Gabriela). She is also an interior designer like Kristen, so i am praying that they will become good friends.
Scott got an apartment so he is excited about that and we are excited for him after looking for 2 months.

thanks for your prayers.

In Cordoba... Argentina!

2006-06-01T16:14:00.000-04:00

Arrival to Ezeiza Airport early in the AM next stop Cordoba

Cordoba skyline at sunset...

The cutest Argentino is like evangelistic bait!

Scott Jackson and David Buckenmyer... what a blessing to have them here with us!

Daddy and Coen love to hang out looking for a place to live.

2006-05-17T10:44:00.000-04:00

We went for a hike to Lee Falls. To get to the falls... after you leave the unmarked trail you will see some pretty rocky terrain. It is incredibly beautiful like a scene out of Lord of the Rings. On the way back down, I carried Coen so I wouldn't fall back on him in the backpack carrier (the snuggly). I kept telling Kristen that I wouldn't fall, but we came to one section that was full of moss and there was no other option but to slide down. At least that is what i say now. At the time, it was a little scary. Coen seemed to enjoy the slide down though. he looked at me if to say, "Let's do it again, daddy."

Coen Christoffer means "Brave messenger of Christ"

2006-04-11T16:44:00.000-04:00

Coen Christoffer Fulfer, a straping young lad of 6 months, was born 10-9-05 and makes his daddy's heart melt on average about 10 times a day.

Comments on Joel 2:28-32

2005-05-20T14:53:00.000-04:00

We often look at Old Testament writings as part of the old covenant, something that is from ages past, and not relevant for today. A look into the prophetic writings of Joel should cause us to understand a part of Israel’s history and see how God refuses to let them be completely lost, and how God spoke through Joel with a message that has contemporary implications.

At the day of Pentecost after Christ had risen from the dead to new life, God visited His people and poured out His Spirit upon them. We are still in the same dispensational age as the early church and therefore the Spirit of God is still calling believers with the same fervency to impact our world as He gives us utterance.

We must look at Joel’s prophecy and realize that God is desiring repentant worship from each one of us, as we prepare for what He has ultimately ordained: Final judgment over all the earth!

It seems that we have lost the sense of wonder of God. We do not believe on Him for great things. It is almost as if we say, “Let me live my life the way I wish, and then o’ yea, when the rapture comes I will be going up to the clouds to meet with my Savior.” We do not live sold out to God’s purposes. We have stopped dreaming dreams. We have forgotten to ask for vision. We squelch the ideas of those that do have boldness and vision. In the church, we like to play the role of the pessimist. But God is not like that. He wants to pour out His Spirit in this generation. Not saying that one has to speak in tongues or have signs accompanying to be authentic, but seeing the role of the Spirit working out in each believer’s life. We must be looking for His awesome wonders, and anticipating them.

Why do so many people hate Jesus?

2005-04-29T11:06:00.000-04:00

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).

They hated Him enough to kill Him for doing no wrong. Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him... His blood be on your hands." Today, it is much the same. I can understand that some of those who call themselves Christians do really stupid things or act in unwise ways, or even say things that are judgemental and closed-minded. But what about Jesus? Why do so many refuse to give Him a good hearing? Must He be crucified all over again today for people to believe. Must they have that kind of personal experience with the King? He has surpassing riches that are beyond anything that this world has to offer. I can't wait for that day that I am face to face with the One who died in my place (because of the sin in me), to be consumed with Him, all of Him. If I am the last one to believe, I will still love Someone like that, not hate Him.

2005-04-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

This is "Cokito." He is a wizard from Patagonia in Argentina. People say he is ecentric, but it seems that he is really just searching... The young people of Andean communities are fascinated with the occult. Many are just exploring, but some end their search in bondage to dark forces or even suicide.

Are you chosen?

2005-04-25T16:24:00.000-04:00

God chooses people out of what ever nation or ethnic group of which they belong to be His representatives in a royal priesthood and a holy nation (see 1 Peter 2:9).

So many people today are confused about Christ and religion. A new pope was just elected, so big deal. it is amazing that he didn't come from Africa or Latin America, since that is probably where the greatest number of Catholics are. So the Catholic church is still controlled by white Europe. The confusion comes from the religion itself. Nothing that comes from man can be totally pure. If you desire to be whole in God then you must not try to do a religion. that will only seek to exalt yourself to show God that you are trying. Christ has already done everything on our behalf. In fact, the purtiy of the gospel of Christ is for the whole world. It is not a white man religion, but a transcultural reality. If Christ would come into your culture today, He would go as part of your culture, so that He might show you in your heart language that He loves you. Being good is not as dependent on you as you think. He loved you so much that He died for you. In fact you can do nothing to please him, only worship Him. that is what He longs for from each and every one of us.