Him we preach, “warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Colossians 1:28-29
Greetings once again from Thailand, I trust that God is actively working both in and through you to help proclaim His greatness to the world we live in. Since our last update, life here has been busy but also very blessed. Our new son is growing more and more each day, and the girls are also getting bigger and bigger. The two oldest are on school break, and so that means each day brings adventures with the kids. Both Maam and I are working overtime keeping up with the four little ones. This past week has been extra busy as we are also getting the house ready for my parent’s upcoming visit next week. My parents arrive on the 16th and will be here for about two weeks. It is always special when my parents come to visit, and this trip is extra special. My younger sister is traveling with my parents and they are coming over to join in the celebration of my younger brother Joes’ wedding. The baby of the family is getting married, and there is no way my parents would miss his special day. My brother has been living and working in Thailand now for five years, and God has blessed him with a beautiful Akha woman who has agreed to be his bride. They will celebrate their love for each other on the 23rd of October. We are all very excited for this upcoming wedding, and also for the chance to spend some time with my parents and my sister while they are here. During their stay, my parents and sister will be staying in our house, and so we have been working hard cleaning up for Grandma and Papas’ visit. The girls have been a huge help and are eager to spend time 
with my parents and Auntie Dawna. I am really looking forward to my parents visit because after the wedding, the whole family will be traveling together to the beach for a four day vacation. I have lived in Thailand now for 9 years, and Maam has lived here her entire life, yet neither of us has ever gone to the beach here in Thailand. Thailand is known for their beautiful beaches, and there have been countless times Maam and I have talked about going to the beach, but due to lack of time, finances, and an occasional pregnancy we have never been able to make it. Now we are preparing for a move back to the States, and this could be the last chance we get to go before the kids grow up. So on October 24th, I am taking Maam, Gracie, Joy, Hope, Kyle, my parents, my sister, and Maams niece for a four day vacation to the Hua Hin Beach. We will be staying at a Christian guest house, and are looking forward to spending time resting and relaxing with my family. There is one problem though, and that is the need for finances. In times past we have tried to go to the beach but lack of time or finances kept us from going. I am trusting that this time that will not be the case. We have the time, but now we are need of some financial help. I ask you to please prayerfully consider giving special towards this family get away. It feels strange asking for financial gifts so that I can go to the beach to rest, but I know that I do need to take this time and spend it with my family. And we have planned so as to keep it as affordable as possible, but as I look at our current finances, it would be doable but extremely difficult to pay for this trip without some extra support. Please prayerfully consider joining with me in helping to pay for this beach get away for Maam and the kids. I have figured the costs, and I believe $1000 would be enough to cover our plane tickets, the hotel, food, and some spending money to use while we are at the beach. If you feel like you could give please make your check out to UBC Worldwide Ministries, and mark on the for: Family Vacation. Be sure to mail it to the new address which is University Bible Church 4700 Philbin Road Chubbuck, ID 83202. Time and time again, you have given to help meet our needs, and we are so thankful for your gifts. We trust that once again God will provide through the gifts of His servants. If you do feel led to give, please email me and let me know so as I can be sure to email you some thank you pictures from the beach.
2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
So that is what is happening on the family front, now let’s update you on how God is working through our ministry here. Last update, I shared with you how God had opened many ministry opportunities for our family and we are already beginning to see some fruit in the lives of those we are serving. At the university where I am currently meeting with 20 young and dynamic collage students who are passionate about their love for Christ and sharing that love with their fellow students. These 20 young men and women are key students who have willing accepted the responsibility of leading a small group Bible study with others in their classes. Each Sunday afternoon I spend an hour and half meeting with them and helping them grow in their relationship with God, each other, and those they are leading. The collage students are just returning from a mid year break, and last night we had a cell group party, hoping to provide an opportunity for all the groups to join together and invite new students to join with us. It was a fun night, and I forgot how much energy collage students have. Sadly by 9 PM, I had to leave to take my children to bed, but many of them stayed up until midnight talking with each other. The party was a success and we had six new students join with us, who now are plugged into a Bible study group. I am also excited at two young men who have expressed their desire to be discipled and to disciple others. This morning I spent three hours with them, talking about discipleship, and how best we can use the remainder of the school year to disciple some of the younger men in our group. Please pray for Smart and Ben, and they join with me in spending the next six month actively studying God’s Word and teaching it to others in hopes that they too will teach it to even more students next year. I am thankful for this chance to meet with these key students, and am looking forward to updating you on how God is working in and through them to help reach Chiang Rai University for Christ.
If the ministry at the university wasn’t exciting enough, I was blessed with an opportunity to share the gospel with some people at the coffee shop I am currently teaching English to the owner of. During one of our English sessions, some of his friends began asking questions about my work. That led to a two hour discussion on religion and the difference between being a believer in Christ and following a specific religion’s teaching. It was great, and there was one lady named Ann who had lots and lots of questions. She even asked me if I ever dreamed about Christ, because when she first moved into her house, she had a dream about a cross and it was hanging on the door of her house. She saw the cross but didn’t know what it represented, and so she wanted to know. Her having a dream is huge, because for most Buddhist, it takes something spectacular like a dream, before they will believe. So she is searching and I am trusting that God will continue to prick her heart. Please pray for her and the others at the coffee shop, I meet with them three times a week, and the group has grown from one person to four as we start with studying English and most often finish talking about Christianity.
Thank you again for taking 
the time to read this update, and I trust that you are all doing well. Please email me back and let me know of any prayer requests you might have. We would love to hear from you. Also if you do find the time, we would love an updated picture of all our friends and supporters, so if you would like to email an updated picture of you and your family, we would love to post it on our prayer wall and keep you in our prayers.
The time has come to go to bed, 
morning comes early and we still have a lot to do before my parents arrive. Keep your eyes open, for in the next week or so I will be posting pictures from my brothers wedding and our trip to the beach. I also am looking forward to sharing with you more on how God is working in and through the Rutledge family while we are here in Chiang Rai, and also how our plans are coming for our upcoming move to the States in March 2011. Until then, may God continue to bless and protect you as you shine His glory through your lives day by day. God bless and we miss you all.
Dan, Maam, Gracie, Joy, Hope, and Kyle Rutledge
