Grateful for God's Goodness

Greetings once again from Thailand. I am excited to share with you some highlights and pictures from the past few months. Since our last post, God has been doing some amazing things here and we are grateful for the opportunity our family has to play a small part in the wonderful workings of God. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and so I decided to help keep this post short by posting a lot of pictures which will we hope will help you gain a greater understanding of what our family has been involved with over the past few months.
The first set of pictures are from the month of August in which we celebrated Kyle's 4th birthday and also the opening of the school year for the university students. Our church held a three day camp at the start of school and the theme verse was from Philippians 1:6 which says, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." This verse was chosen because we wanted to focus on the sanctifying work of Christ in the lives of the students and that He Who saved them by His grace, is also the one Who is sanctifying them and will not stop until He has completed His work. During the camp we had over 100 students attend and we closed the camp with the celebration of 5 students demonstrating their commitment to the lordship of Christ through their public display of baptism. The day of the baptism it rained non stop, but we were all able to rejoice in this special day with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Following a very busy August, the month of September was filled with lots of school work for me and the kids. I was working hard to finish up a few research papers for my classes and the kids were busy preparing for end of the semester testing. We were all busy with school, but we were also keeping active in ministry with the local church and the college students which attend there. For me this included meeting weekly for discipleship and biblical training with the four interns who are currently working at the church. I also was continuing my preaching once a month as well as teaching an adult Sunday school class every Sunday before worship service. On top of these opportunities to serve the church, I was also leading two small group Bible studies for the college students.

Mam was also busy serving the church, as she is leading the children's church every Sunday and is currently training some of the young ladies in the church to help teach the children during different Sundays of each month. The month of September flew by, and I am guessing that is because of the blessing of being busy serving the Lord and the local church body. On top of all these opportunities to serve with the church, I was also busy putting into practice the truths I have been learning during my studies by offering biblical counsel to some missionaries who were seeking help and hope during their trials. I am grateful that I have been able to serve them and am also grateful that as a family we are able to minister to the Thai and missionary community with the redeeming truths of God's Word. The following pictures are from one of our small group Bible studies which we have on Thursday night.

Now that we are in the month of October, our family is finally finding some time to rest and relax together. The children are out of school for two weeks, and I have completed all my class work and am able to rest until my last project for my Masters degree is to begin in November. Lord willing I should be finished with my degree in biblical counseling in March 2015. Our whole family is counting down the months to that completion date, especially Mam who is excited to have her husband back and not have to share him with late night homework assignments anymore. Someone asked if I would consider going on for my Doctorate, to which I calmly looked at my wife and assured them that a Masters degree was enough for now. I am ready to be done with schooling and to be able to focus full-time on family and ministry.

During this break in our lives, we were able to take a couple of days and get away for a short vacation as a family. It was a very relaxing time of just hanging out in the hotel and also letting the kids do some fun events. We went ice-skating, to the night safari zoo and kids play area. Kyle really enjoyed the zoo, since this was his first time ever going here in Thailand. He ran from animal to animal and had so much fun. It was such a blessing to be able to rest as a family and we wish we could have stayed longer than 2 days but due to lack of finances we had to come back home. We have had fun here at home though as well. We are playing UNO at night as well as reading lots of books. There are bike rides and walks with the dogs. It has been so nice just to relax as a family and reconnect with each other once again. Next week school starts again for the kids and so we are trying to enjoy every day off with them as much as we can.

Even though the kids are out of school, our ministry with the church and biblical counseling are still going. This Sunday I will be preaching and so I have been spending time preparing for not only that Sunday morning service but also the Adult Sunday school class I will be teaching before and also the small group Bible study I will be teaching that afternoon. For one Sunday a month I end up having to teach or preach around 5 hours and that is in the Thai language, so needless to say, on those days I am truly wiped and ready to rest in the evening. Even though it is hard work, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the body of Christ by instructing them in the Word of God.
Please continue to remember our family in your prayers as we finish up the month of October and get ready for the busy months of November and December. Already there are multiple Thanksgiving and Christmas outreaches scheduled for our church, and we are excited for the chance to use these two months to share with others the joy of Christ and the blessings of being thankful. Please also pray for our ministry in offering biblical counseling not only for the missionary community but also among the Thai believers. Starting in November Mam and I will be doing pre-marital counseling with a young lady from our church and her fiance from China. It should be interesting, but we are grateful to offer this young couple the truths of God's Word upon which they can build their marriage upon. Another prayer request is in regards to our families finances. The past few months, our financial support has been low, but by God's grace we have been able to pay for all our needs and even have some extra money to help out others and spend time away as a family. The concern I have is that if our support does not pick up, then come the New Year, I may have to look for part time work to help cover our living expenses. I am not concerned about having to work, but rather that it takes me away from other things, such as ministry, schooling, and family. For almost 19 years I have been blessed to be able to serve in full-time ministry and live by the faithful giving of so many wonderful people. Both as a single and now as a family of six, every month God has faithfully provided for all of our needs through the gifts of our supporters. So I am thankful for the past 18 years I have been able serve in full-time ministry and I am asking God to grant us many more years of full-time ministry for Him. So please pray that our financial needs will be provided for and that we will have wisdom as we evaluate and make plans for the year 2015. (Information about ways to help support our family is located on the side bar of this post).
Thank you for your willingness to take time to read this post and also for all of your prayers. If you would please take a moment and email me at dan.rutledge@gmail.com and let me know if this post was both informative and encouraging to you. Thank you and God bless you.

Here are some pictures from our family's 2 day vacation last week.

Hope for our Hearts

Greetings everyone, I trust you are doing well. I would like to thank you for all of your prayers during this time I am away from my family. I am really looking forward to being reunited with them next week. 5 weeks is just too long to be away from your loved ones. I am grateful for the time I did get to spend in the States and the chance to study here at the Master's College as well as spend time visiting with family, friends and supporters. I have posted our latest newsletter in the page above (Printable PDF versions of the newsletter) The latest issues is titled Hope for our Hearts and is a short update of what God is doing in our family and the ministry there in Thailand. Please feel free to print it off and share with your friends and family. Thank you for your prayers and please know that you are in our prayers often. God bless
The Rutledge Family.

Striving According To His Power Colossians 1:28-29

Happy Mid-year from the Rutledge Family, we are eternally grateful for all your prayers and financial support which makes it possible for us to live and minister full time here in Chiang Rai, Thailand. During the past 7 months since our last newsletter, God has been so good and our family would like to share with you 7 of the highlights of what God has been doing through the work of Hearts Redeemed Ministry. We know that nothing which has been accomplished could have happened apart from God and so we want to give all praise to Him, Who has strengthened us through His Spirit and enabled us to continue striving according to His power as we proclaim His gospel for His glory.

The first highlight we would like to share with you is the wonderful opportunity of being able to partner with a local Thai church in ministering to university students and young singles. Our goal with Heart Redeemed Ministries was to work with families within the local church to help strengthen their walk with Christ and also their witness for Him. The benefit of working with college students before they get married is to help lay a biblical foundation upon which they can build their future marriage upon. During the past year, we have been able to provide biblical teaching and discipleship through; Sunday morning preaching, Adult Sunday School Classes, Evening Life Group Bible Studies for men and for women, One on one discipleship and counseling, and even a couples class we held after Sunday morning service. Thankfully we have already begun to see some fruit from our time with the college singles, and we give all praise to God for the way He has been working in their hearts through His Word. There were two weddings over the past 7 months which Mam and I were blessed to be able to help provide pre-marital counseling for both the couples.

The second highlight deals with our children and the why that they are adjusting to a new culture through the help of God’s grace. It was slow at first, but once everyone got started their Thai language took off and now they are all fluent in Thai. Even little Kyle who started school in May, is speaking Thai. This is a huge answer to prayer, because I was not sure how they would adjust, but God has been gracious and we are thankful for their willingness to serve with us here in Thailand. They miss the States and are looking forward to coming back and visit soon, maybe when I graduate next spring.

The third highlight has to be the fruits which we are already seeing God produce through my studies and practice of biblical counseling. I have been humbled to see how the truths of God’s Word is able to change lives stuck in serious struggles and sins. Over the past 7 months I have been able to offer biblical counsel to Thai college students, Thai couples getting ready for marriage, Thai families struggling with choices, a married couple from Brazil, other missionaries from the States, and even members from Mam’s family. I am still working on my studies and am in my last session of classes, but I am amazed at how the skills I have been able to learn, God is using to minister to others.

The fourth highlight comes in the completion of one year back in Thailand. We arrived in Thailand in April 2013, with lots’ of dreams but even more questions. God as always was faithful and provided everything we needed for our families relocation back to Thailand. We are grateful for the house we are renting and the wonderful Thai neighbors who we have become good friends with. We are also grateful for my truck, which even though took some repairs over the past year, has continued to run faithfully and has been a great tool not only for transporting our family but also serving others in the body of Christ. I use it to pick up college students for church on Sunday, we have used it for outreaches in villages, and lot’s of other outings. God is gracious and we are grateful for a house to sleep in, a truck to drive, food to eat, and a chance to live and serve in Thailand full-time. We have been here one year, and we are trusting God to enable us to remain serving Him here in Thailand for many more years to come.

The fifth highlight is how God has been gracious with our schooling. I say our schooling because I am busy studying for my Masters in Biblical Counseling and all of our kids are now attending school. Gracie is in 4th grade, Joy is in 2nd, Hope is in 1st, and Kyle is in the first year of kindergarten. They start school here at age three and have three years of kindergarten before 1st grade. Oh and they go all day long, with a nap after lunch of course. So everyone is in school except for Mam, and she is enjoying her days free from kids and sticky fingers. She does miss them though and is always excited to pick them up from school and help them with their homework. God has been good, and we are grateful for the chance to grow in knowledge, I am especially grateful that my classes are coming to a close soon. I am taking my last four classes right now, and then after I write my thesis, I will be able to graduate. It has been lot’s of hard work but am so glad that I took the program I did and am excited to see how God is going work through what I have learned for His glory.

The sixth highlight has to be our health. God is so gracious and even though we live in a third world country, we have rarely had any major sicknesses. We are so thankful for God’s hand of protection over our family this past year and we trust that He will continue to provide protection and patience to help us deal with any health issues He brings our way in the future.

The seventh highlight is all of you who take the time to read our newsletters, pray for our family, give of your finances, and encourage us through your emails. We know that our family would not be able to live and minister here full time if not for the work of God in our lives through the faithful prayers and support from people like you. Our family would once again like to say thank you for all you have done to bless us throughout our years on the mission field. We remember you often in our prayers and thank God for the way He works through you to encourage and provide for our family.

Thank you for your willingness to partner the Rutledge Family and Hearts Redeemed Ministries as we continue striving through His power to connect the hearts of the Thai people with the redeeming truths of God’s Word.

Happy Mid-Year and God bless from:

Dan, Mam, Gracie, Joy, Hope, and Kyle Rutledge

Thankful Through Triumphs and Trials in Thailand

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His loving-kindness is everlasting to all generations.”                 Psalm 100:4-5

Greetings in the name of our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who has blessed us with countless blessings and the wonderful gift a new life in Him:

Our family is looking forward to the holiday season and is grateful for the way God has worked through your prayers and financial support to enable us to serve full time ministering with the people of Thailand. Since our last update, our family has experienced both blessings and difficulties and we are looking forward to sharing with you some of the highlights from the past month.

Doga the young man who is staying with us.

The best place to start would be with the exciting news that our family has grown. No we are not expecting another child since that would truly be a miracle; rather we have agreed to take in a 15 year boy who needed a place to stay until the end of the school year in February. Doga's older sister asked us if we would let him stay with us for the next four months until she was able to find a place to rent and could help take care of him. At first we were reluctant to open our home to a rebellious teenage boy, but after talking with him, his sister, and others we agreed to give it a try. This has been a great opportunity for me to begin practicing some of the discipleship principles for men which I am wanting to use with some of the male college students I have been meeting with over the past few months. My heart goes out to Doga, who like many 15 year old boys finds himself standing at a crossroads between life and death. We have talked about the current path he is traveling and if he continues to walk that path and follow the friends he has been following, then there is guaranteed destruction waiting for him. He may not know when that destruction will come, but by continuing to walk in rebellion he is assured that it will come. On the other hand there is hope for him in the life of Christ and if he is willing to submit to Christ’s lordship and allow His Spirit to change his heart, there is an assurance of living a life which will bless him and others as well as bring glory to God.  Doga has been with us now for three weeks and we are thankful that we had an extra room for him to stay in and also the time to study the Bible with him and help him begin to make better choices in the way he is living his life. I am still not sure of his salvation and that has been something we have been talking about in great detail, the gospel message and how it has the power to save us not only from the punishment of our sins but also from the power of that sin in our daily lives. Please continue to pray for Doga and our family as we spend the next few months together trying to minister to a life which was willingly walking down the path to destruction. We are praying that during his time living with us, we will be able to not only share the gospel with him through our words, but also with our lives. We are grateful for the kitchen table we were able to buy because of some of your special gifts, it is large enough to sit eight people and so we are glad that Doga can join with our family during meal times. We are also thankful that the house we are renting had a couple of extra rooms so that Doga can be a part of our family but also have some privacy from the busyness of our 4 kids. We look forward to updating you on how his time spent with us is going and ask you to please continue to pray for Doga as he faces the temptations which are common to all 15 year old boys.

If taking in another kid to look after was not enough to keep us busy, we have found ourselves expanding our ministry opportunities as well. For the past few months we have been doing some pre marriage counseling with a young Thai pastor and his fiancé. It has been such a blessing to get to know this young couple and study the truths of Scripture with them as they prepare for their future life together. During our time of counseling we realized that one, I need to be translating all the material I am using with this couple into the Thai language and make a small workbook which we can use with future couples. So that means that over the next few months Mam and I are going to try and create a pre-marriage counseling book and workbook to use with others. We also found ourselves not only offering pre marriage counseling but helping as wedding planners for this young couple. It amazed us at how much they were un-prepared for their upcoming wedding on November 30^th and we realized that this is a ministry we can offer to others in the future. So we have been busy not only counseling with this young couple but also helping them with their wedding preparations. It has been fun, but also very tiring. I forgot how much work goes into planning a wedding, I think that when it is time for my daughters to get married, I will give them a plane tickets as a wedding gift and send them to the States for a quick and easy wedding maybe at a drive through in Vegas. Please continue to pray for Click and Wahn (the young couple getting married on the 30^th) as they begin their life together and try to apply all the truths they have been learning about marriage from God’s Word. I have also seen that this is a young couple who are going to need a lot of help during their first year as a married couple and so Mam and I are planning on continuing meeting with them monthly and trying to disciple them as they begin this adventure known as marriage.

 

Some of the college students enjoying Friday Fun Night at our house.

The schools started their fall terms during the last part of October and so we have been busy getting our children back into the school routine and also connecting with the students from our church who attend one of the local universities. In order to help minister to the students from our church, we have started a prayer time on Sunday evenings which we have on their university. The first week we had 15 students come to pray, the second week we only had 1 (The others went to watch Thor 2 with the English club). But this last week we had 7 come and we are hoping that this group will continue to grow as they invite their friends and reach out to other students in their classes. On the 15^th of December we will be having a Christmas party for all the students from that university and we are praying that many of the students from our church will bring their friends since the theme of the party is the Peace of Christmas and we will be focusing on the peace God offers to those who believe in the gift of His Son which He sent for us on Christmas. Please pray that many students will come and that this will be a great opportunity for those in our church to share the gospel with others in their class. December 15^th is the date, so please remember to pray.

Please pray for our family, specifically two very important requests. The first is for our health but specifically for my health as I have been struggling with some physical problems which are painful and also limiting my ability to be active. The main problem is what I think is possible some gallstones or gallbladder disease. I am trying to get into to see the doctor early next week and am praying that they will be able to diagnose what is actually wrong with my body and provide a way to relive the pain. I do not suffer from constant pain, but from sudden burst of great pain in my stomach and back, so much that it makes it even hard to talk, let alone do anything else. The last flair up happened about two weeks ago, and it occurred right when my truck tire started to go flat because I ran over a nail. Trying to change a tire in hot humid air, while suffering from extreme stomach pain is something I do not wish for anyone to have to experience. Thankfully, I was able to get the tired change and after a few hours of pain, the hurting stopped and I was able to rest some before I had to go pick up the kids from school. I do not know what is causing it and we are praying that the doctor will be able to diagnose it correctly and provide some lasting relief for whatever it is that is causing the pain. Please pray for my health and also the health of our whole family especially now since many of us have small head colds and runny noses.

Hope, Kyle and Joy enjoying some fun with the can food

Gracie send her greetings

The second prayer request involves our family’s finances and the fact that over the past few months we have seen a dramatic decrease in the amount of support given. When we left the States we had a budget that needed us to raise $2500 in monthly support to cover all of our family’s needs. We left for Thailand believing that we had $2000 in monthly support committed to meet our costs of living, and were praying about possible supporters to help make up the remaining $500 of monthly support needed. The first three months back, our support was doing well and we had even received some special gifts which enabled us to purchase a cover for the back of our truck and a stove for Mam to use for cooking. But starting in July, the amount of support coming in monthly began to decrease and continued to decrease over the next few months. The past two months we have seen it decrees to the point where we are now onlyI ask you to please prayerfully consider giving an extra end of the year gift to help our family cover all of our needed expenses. There are two very big expenses coming up in the New Year which we currently do not have the finances to cover. One is the need to purchase a computer for Mam and the girls to use for doing their homework and ministry work in Thai. We currently have my laptop but since I use it so much for my schooling we do not want the girls to use it in case all my class work gets mistakenly erased. So we are praying for and trying to save up $400 to buy a laptop for Mam and the girls to use. The second need is a little larger and a little more important. My truck’s tires are over 6 years old and are needed to be changed, also the front breaks are at that stage to be changed, and I think the clutch is also going out. This is the joy of having a car that is close to 20 years old and has been used a lot. It has been a great truck and has taken many of trips to the villages to spread the gospel, now it is getting old and the cost to keep it running is beginning to add up. It is the only vehicle we have now besides a small motorcycle and so we need to keep it running as long as possible. For new tires and repairs I believe it is going to cost somewhere around $700 to $900. That is a lot of money when you are taking in only $1700 in monthly support. So we are asking first for you to join with us in praying for our family’s finances and the need to raise more support. Also prayerfully consider joining our monthly support team or giving an end of the year gift to help us finish off 2013 and also be able to cover the expenses of the computer for Mam and the kids and also for the truck tires and repairs which are greatly needed. If you would like to know more about how to join our support team or how you can give specially, then please email me at dan.rutledge@gmail.com . God is faithful and has continually provided for all of our family’s needs and we know that often times that is through the gracious gifts from people like you. We ask you to please, please help our family to continue to serve in fulltime ministry here in Thailand by partnering with us through prayer and financial support. Your gifts are what make it possible for us to be able to serve the Thai people by seeking to connect their hearts with the redeeming truths of God’s Word. Thank you for your prayers and past support and we ask you now to give a little extra during the holiday season.

receiving $1700 to pay for our living expenses. God has been faithful and we have been able to survive, but this last month we had to pay school fees for our three daughters, some medical bills, and other unexpected expenses which have forced us to wonder if there is going to be enough money to finish out the year. December is always a wonderful month and is a time when many people give a little extra.

Speaking of the holiday season, I guess I had better bring this update to a close before Christmas arrives. The months of November and December are my two favorite months of the year and I was so thankful that I was able to introduce my family to the joys of the holiday season over the past two years we spent in the States. It is always hard to be away from family and friends throughout the year, but to be away during Thanksgiving and Christmas is especially hard. Our whole family misses the festive times and the joys of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please pray for us as we celebrate a milder version of Thanksgiving and Christmas, since these are not national holidays here in Thailand. We all miss the snow, the lights, the yummy food, the fun Christmas show at church, the Christmas parties with our life groups, but what they miss the most is spending time with their Papa and Grandma, their cousins and Aunties and Uncles, and of course all their friends from school and church. Please pray for our family during this first holiday season back in Thailand and please pray that we will be able to use these two great holidays to reach out to others in our neighborhood and local universities with the blessing of giving thanks for what God has done for us and also the true meaning of the Joy of Christ.

Joy with some of the college students

Some of the wonderful food we had for Thanksgiving

The students singing Thank You Jesus

 

To close out this letter, I would like to share some highlights from the Thanksgiving dinner our church held last night. We invited all the students to prepare their favorite traditional food from their respective tribes and to present a short song or skit in their traditional language. What we got was a wonderful evening filled with amazing food and beautiful songs and dances. We had students who were Akha, Lisu, Lahu, Hmong, Iu Mien, Karen. We also had students who were from the eastern part, the central part and also the southern part of Thailand, all with unique foods and songs. We also had 8 exchange students from China who joined with us. It was such a blessing to see so many languages, cultures, and traditions represented in the church. Mind you our church only has about 50 to 60 regular attendees and most of them are college students. It was a special thanksgiving meal, no turkey but lots of wonderful tribal and Thai food. I have attached some pictures from the event. Praise God for a wonderful night and please pray as we make preparations for some upcoming Christmas programs and outreaches at the universities and also at our church.

May you and your loved ones have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Very Merry Christmas.

God bless.

Your fellow servants in Christ

Dan, Mam, Gracie, Joy, Hope, and Kyle Rutledge.

Rejoicing in Rest and Relationships.

Colossians 1:28-29

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”

God is so good, and it is His greatness that our family is grateful to be able to proclaim not only to those we are ministering with here in Thailand but also with all of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who partner with us as we serve our amazing God in this wonderful country. This update is going to be full of praise for God’s wonderful workings. I have also included a lot of pictures to help you experience some of the wonderful things we have been blessed to be a part of over the past few weeks.

Currently in Thailand most of the schools are on break which frees our family up to rest a little from the pressures of school and also enables us to connect with some of the college students who are enjoying their break from studies as well. The actual break is only three to four weeks long depending on what school you attend, but as most of us remember from our college days, any break is a welcomed break no matter how long it is.

Most of the students returned to their homes for this break, but for those that have stayed here in Chiang Rai we were able to spend some time, seeking to deepen our friendships with them and working together to plan out meaningful ways to interact with other students once the new semester begins.

One of the first things we were able to be involved with was a three day trip to a nearby village, where about 20 college students went to spend time evangelizing with a church in the village. The students helped by offering some children’s programs and showing the JESUS film in the villager’s native language of Iu Mien. Our family was blessed to be able to help provide transportation for the team to the village and we wanted to stay and minister with them for the whole time but our children still had three more days of school left before their semester break and so that meant that we had to return to the city and be diligent helping our daughters study for their finales. It was a blessing though to hear the excitement of the students who went on the outreach and to be able to serve them by providing transportation to the village. We are already making plans for the next outreach which will be taking place in December and this time, Lord willing our family will be able to stay with the team the whole time in the village.

The next great adventure was finales week, and we are thankful that God helped Gracie, Joy, Hope, and me as we finished up our studies for the semester and were able to pass our finale tests. The girls did amazingly well on their exams considering it was their first semester studying at a Thai school and all the tests were in the Thai language. Their teachers all said they did well on their tests and were looking forward to teaching them again once the new semester starts on October 24^th. As for me, I too was able to finish my second round of classes which included one final exam and two research papers. One of the papers was on hope and the other one was on the sufficiency of Scripture. Both papers were challenging but the material I studied to enable me to complete the papers was priceless and I am so thankful for the chance to gain a deeper understanding and a greater appreciation  for the hope we have in Christ and the sufficiency of Scripture to enable us to live godly lives which are glorying to God. With the completion of this last round of classes, it means that I am 2/3rds of the way through my degree in a Master’s in Biblical Counseling which I have been working on. I have at least one more year left and then my Thesis, so Lord willing we are hoping I can finish my degree by May of 2015. Thank you for your prayer for our family over the past few months as we have been working hard in our studies. We ask that you will continue to pray especially for the girls as they start the new semester and continue to grow in their understanding and use of the Thai language.

 The third adventure our family has undertaken during the month of October involved a short four day trip to Chiang Mai, where we spent time resting as a family and also visiting some fellow missionary friends who live there. The highlight for everyone was the trip to the 3D art museum from which I have included some photos. The kids really enjoyed it and it was something Mam had wanted to visit for a long time, so it was a blessing to be able to enjoy the gallery together as a family.

Following our trip to Chiang Mai, our family returned to Chiang Rai and spent the last few days of vacation working around the house and catching up on a lot of little things which have been left undone over the past few months. The kids are helping out a lot and every morning they are actually fighting over who gets to wash the dishes. Crazy kids I have, but I do love them. Mam and I have also been busy helping a young couple who are getting married at the end of November get ready for their wedding. Mam was able to go with the future bride and help her shop for the wedding dresses and I have been helping the future groom prepare for his part in the wedding. This is the couple we have been doing some pre-marital counseling with and it has been such a blessing getting to know them and watch them grow in their love and understanding of each other based on the truths of Scripture. Please continue to pray for them as they wrap up their last few preparations for their wedding and as they begin their life together as a couple? I have also been starting a men’s ministry with some of the college guys and other guys in the church who have recently graduated from college. One of the young men named Ben has been meeting with me weekly as we study through Ephesians and grow together in the truths of God’s Word. The other men have started to come to our house twice to three times a week for some soccer (football) and fellowship. This Friday night we will be having our official back to school night and have invited the college students to come to our house for praise and worship time followed by games and fellowship. Please pray that God will bring many students to our house this Friday and that we will be able to continue our ministry among them as we seek to instruct them in the ways of God.  

Schools opened again on the 24^th and it has been a good first week at school for the kids. The universities also opened this week and so we are looking forward to continuing our ministry among the college students. At the church we have been helping with, we will begin an adult Sunday school class next week which I will be teaching and we will be doing a study on the overview of the Bible, since many of the students have little to no knowledge of the Scriptures. Mam is also starting to work with some young female students who will be helping lead the children’s church and Sunday school times. This will help Mam be able to rest and enjoy the sermons and also enable some of the college students to learn how to serve the church through helping with children’s church and nursery care. 

Well I believe that is enough for now. I am looking forward to updating you more as the new semester continues and our ministry with the college students and the local church we are attending kicks into full gear again. We have been thankful for this short break and also for your financial gifts which make it possible for our family to live and minister here full time in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Our family has been richly blessed throughout our years in full-time ministry and we are so thankful for the faithful financial gifts and prayers of supporters like you which make that possible. Your prayers and support are used by God not only in our family’s life but also in the lives of those with whom we are reaching out to with the Gospel through Hearts Redeemed Ministries.  Thank you for taking the time to read this update and may we always hold to the truth recorded for all believers in Romans 8:28 where we read, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Amen and Amen

Your fellow servants in Him

Dan, Mam, Gracie, Joy, Hope, and Kyle Rutledge

Seeking to serve and share the Gospel with the people in Thailand and faithful proclaim God’s glory through our service with Heart Redeemed Ministry.