As the Eagle Flies: an update on Lance in Norway

As the Eagle Flies

Friends and family, 

Lance has had an awesome time of growth in the first months of the Discipleship Training School in Alesund, Norway. Enjoy his newsletter and please continue praying for him.

As the eagle flies,

Earl and Bev Rutledge

 Greetings from Norway! 

It's been three months since I started this DTS and God has done so much with me and in me.

I've worked with several churches in the area with a few different projects. I have spent time with youth, simply talking, relaxing and playing, as well as praying and being a positive example for them. During this time with youth, we also have some food, games and a simple devotion. 

In November, a team of artists and I traveled to a town 3 hours from Alesund to spend some time with a church. We spent two days participating in youth groups, and a night relating and sharing with the youth leaders. Many of the leaders were touched by the prophetic art pieces that were made for them. Aside from spending time with the church, we also visited a school and spent two hours in a classroom with 18/19 year olds. As a group, we shared on the individuality and uniqueness of every person. Unfortunately, we could only spend 3 days in the town, so things were a bit stressed, but we had a great time working, learning and sharing God's love with the people there.

Now it's December and I am spending a two week break here in Norway. It's been a great time of rest and accomplishing other projects; such as the recording of several songs I've written. Christmas Break will be end on the 1st, and then we return to our routine week of teaching. 

It has been confirmed that I will doing my months of outreach in Asia, however the exact location cannot be told just yet.

Prayer requests: 

·  Wisdom and guidance for my life after YWAM

·  I've been a bit sick lately; I need some prayer for my physical condition

·  I still lack money to finish payment of my DTS and outreach costs

Pray that the Lord will provide wisdom, health, and resources, and that He would give me these in abundance.

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and an awesome New Year,  

God bless.

Lance 

If you are interested in my artwork, you can browse through my online portfolio. 

Click this link - Lance's art portfolio

Skewed

Often, people have a skewed sense of justice, or a skewed view of humanity. The painting is in a diagonal format. The white figure is trying to push it back to the straight horizontal format. I want to do this in my life and through my art. I want to show people, in a loving, kind, inspiring way, the things they have misunderstood or misinterpreted and help them adjust to a correct Biblical worldview.

Earl and Bev Rutledge's addresses and phone numbers

Donations

If you would like to support us financially:

Write checks to:

World Outreach Fellowship

On a separate note indicate donations are for Nicaragua

If you want to designate a donation for Lance write DTS Lance Rutledge

Mail them to:

World Outreach Fellowship

2011 W. Marshall Ave.

Longview, Texas 75604

Contact Us

Phone

USA (214) 872-6140 [stateside number that rings us in Nicaragua]

Nicaragua (505) 2782-6423

Email

norixzeta@gmail.com

We Give Thanks: a Thanksgiving letter posted in January

Earl and Bev Rutledge

Blessings and peace. 

I have realized that thankfulness is the key to humility and faith. Thanksgiving is key to humility because it reminds us that all comes from the Father of Lights. He is our designer, source, life and salvation. Thanksgiving is key to faith because it reminds us of all ABBA has done for us. Remembering what He has done causes faith to arise so we believe He will do it again.  Truly our Eternal Father is the source of all and He is ready and willing to "do it again".

Give thanks and believe.

We give thanks for Dunamis Institute members Chris Walker, Sam Hale and Judy McManus (intercessor) for their investment of time and effort to come and teach the In the Spirit's Power track of Dunamis. The team, with Earl as translator, realized two seminars in 4 days. It was an enjoyable and profitable time. 

In Jinotega they taught Ignite from 8 am til 8 pm to 30 participants including 7 pastors. In Matagalpa the teaching started Friday night and ended Sunday at noon with a registered participation of 47 people. 

During the review on Saturday evening the pastors commented that the teaching was scriptural, practical and understandable, and the group lab times were a great opportunity to practice and process what they had learned. We all look forward to their return in the spring to teach the Prayer track. 

Bev spent 3 weeks with her parents in Florida while her dad underwent a knee replacement surgery in Orlando. It was a tremendous answer to prayer for her to stay at a friend of a friend's for 4 nights while her dad was in the hospital.  God's hand at work was confirmed when wediscovered that her hostess lived only 4 miles from the hospital.

Dad's recovery is going well; he is walking more normal and with less pain than he has in years. We thank God for His healing touch and for allowing Bev to help her parents during this time.

The kids did a commendable job of cleaning, cooking, and laundering during Bev's absence, and even Esperanza entered into the work. Luke and Kelsy also spent 3 days at an Identity Youth Conference. We give thanks for this "epic" experience that impacted their lives.

As we close the year we also give thanks for the maturing of our older children and their achievements. 

 Lance

The past months in Norway have truly been a wonderful experience for me as I have learned so much about God and myself; creativeness and living in a community. I have had several weeks of teaching (two of which have been "knowing God and making Him known" and "kingdom principles") and other  weeks devoted to classes in fine art, classic art and graphic design. 

 

During a creative exercise, I painted a prophetic painting for one of my classmates.

The meaning behind this painting is this: the light emanating from the figure is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Because of His presence, the grass near to her turns green, and where the light reaches, things turn to gold. Because of the Holy Spirit in her, wherever she goes, she will prosper.

Judah

The semester is nearly over and it has been the most challenging so far in terms of hours and difficulty of classes. Most of my classes are directly linked to engineering, so I am heavily laden with math and technical science courses. I would greatly appreciate prayer for understanding and discipline in my courses.

God has blessed me in many ways. I continue to work as a lab assistant in both the Machine Tool lab and the Materials Joining lab here at LeTourneau University. I sought work in the Materials Joining lab my first semester so I could develop skill and knowledge in welding without taking extra classes, and over the past several weeks, my job has allowed me to practice and improve my welding skills. Though I started out sweeping the shop floor, I have been tremendously blessed by God to be today where I set my sights over 13 months ago.

Please pray for God's continued provision. 

He's been good! He won't stop now. 

John

I am wrapping up my senior year at John Brown University next semester, and I will graduate with a BA in International Business and a minor in marketing. I love my major and I've been busy completing my capstone business project. This is a two semester long project integrated with a class called Strategic Management. Students choose teams of 4 people and then work together to develop a business from the ground up. This includes strategic growth plans and financials for the first five years of operations. I've been blessed with incredible teammates and together we've learned how unattainable perfection can seem at times, but we are pressing on!

On top of the "all consuming" capstone project, I am also president for JBU's chapter of Enactus. This club focuses on the application of entrepreneurship to social development in countries all over the world. Leading a team of officers has been a great learning experience, and the role is providing me with leadership skills and opportunities to network.

I am currently applying for jobs in the Northwest Arkansas area and am interested in pursuing a masters degree. Prayers for God's direction are appreciated as I approach a new season in life.

THANK YOU

Without you we could not minister to Nicaragua.

Thank you for your prayer and financial support. 

Prayer needs:

·  Greater knowledge and understanding of God's plan in Nicaragua 

·  Favor with whom we are working 

·  Increased financial support to cover our increased travel in Nicaragua and to the States 

·  Funds for Lance's Discipleship Training School and outreach expenses to Southeast Asia  

If you desire, you can send support to our World Outreach Fellowship address. Thank you all! 

Grace and peace,

Earl and Bev Rutledge

The Rutledge Family - June 2012

The Rutledge Family - June 2012

It is always an encouragement to know that you are praying for us. We are grateful for your co-laboring with us through your support and prayers.

Escuela de Vida Sobrenatural - EVS 

This month we launched the Supernatural Life School with 15 students. We have been working with Ixil Torrez and Pastor Ahiezer Zeledon training and discipling the staff of seven volunteers since June of last year, 2011. Included are pastors from 4 different churches in Matagalpa and the students are a mix from these churches. We rejoice in the unity that the body of Christ is forming. Our purpose is to raise upRevivalists: believers who are passionate in their love for God and seek His manifest presence in their lives so that they are empowered to transform lives, communities, and cultures with His divine love.

The school meets on Saturdays in our house in Matagalpa, and this first course will finish the end of November. We are excited at what God is doing and pray for each student who is actively pursuing a lifestyle of purity and availability to be an instrument of Father God's goodness in their everyday lives during the week. We all touch more lives during the week than we do on Sundays, and we want to activate awareness of the many golden opportunities we have to bring light and hope to those around us at all times.

Pentecost Sunday 

On Pentecost Sunday we had one of our Day of Prayer activities. We set an ambient in our home through creative art and decorating. This invited people to worship and take a prayer journey as they walked through reading scriptures. The arrangement included places to sit down or kneel to pray, reflect and meditate, an area to write their petitions, and a spot to receive prayer before leaving. This time we had live trees with a river going through our living room, hovering clouds in another room, and tongues of fire coming down from the ceiling in another room. God's presence was refreshing, healing, and invigorating. About 70 people came throughout the day, including 3 other pastors here in Jinotega. Our landlady's mother and our Spanish teacher, both devout Catholics, were greatly touched during their time of prayer.

God has given us grace to minister Christ to people of all faiths. We thank Him for His goodness and faithfulness. We are grateful for His creative ideas to help others not be scared by His presence, but to feel invited to know the fullness of His love and joy. In His presence we are changed into His likeness.


Bev and Mentoring
In addition to our Sunday meetings, ladies Bible study, and homeschooling, Bev spends a lot of time praying with women to bring spiritual restoration and emotional healing to their lives (which also often brings physical healing). Mentoring is another activity that allows her to sow into the lives of many young women.

One of her mentorees is Geraldine, the Young Life Coordinator for Jinotega. Due to the tremendous help she personally received through being mentored, she asked if Bev would also mentor all her girl leaders. So Bev meets every 4 to 6 weeks with a group of the girl leaders, and in between the group meetings she meets with each girl individually to disciple, counsel, pray with, and encourage them in their walk with Christ.

Rachel is another young lady Bev had the privilege of mentoring weekly for 9 months. Rachel just returned to her country of Switzerland. She was here with Latin Link to work in the orphanage north of town. It was encouraging to hear her words at our Sunday night farewell saying how much her life has changed and how she has grown in her time here. She returns to her country with a stronger relationship with God and a brighter light shining His glory. Pray for her as she re-enters her culture that her light and joy would indeed affect those around her.

Seeds Sown around the World 

It's amazing to see that seeds we have planted in our serving here in Nicaragua have sprouted up with results in many other nations over the years. Last month we sent a young man from our fellowship here to Mexico to participate in a YWAM school in Ensenada. Edwin and his sister have been a part of our Jinotega group since we started, and their mom received prayer and healing last year. It totally transformed her life into becoming a sharer of God's goodness and grace. She now regularly brings to us others who need prayer and healing. Our goal to raise up harvesters is being reached. Edwin is the first of our fellowship in Jinotega who has embraced the challenge of serving God in another country.

Our son Lance is almost finished with his high school curriculum and is also preparing to live in another culture. He has been accepted to participate in a YWAM Creative Arts Discipleship School in Norway starting in September. Both Lance and Cheree have been key players in creating our atmospheres on prayer days. We are glad Lance is pursuing his artistic abilities to show forth the glory of God.

Family 

This fall Judah will be a sophomore at LeTourneau University and Johnwill be starting his senior year at John Brown University. They are both working in the States this summer to help defray college expenses. Judah will be visiting Bev's parents in July. One of Bev's dreams has been for each of our children to have a chance to spend time with their grandparents, so we are thankful for this opportunity.

Cheree and Vicente continue working in Esteli. They teach a weekly Bible study with 10 of Vicente's university students and also started a library (Biblioteca Rhema) to encourage a reading culture and moral values.

Luke, Kelsy and Esperanza are still busy with school - we have had many interruptions in school this year, so summer vacation will consist of a free day here and few free days there, with mostly school days, so we can finish this year's curriculum before school is supposed to start again. The good news is that we might have someone coming for September and October to help homeschool. Pray that the details would come together for this help, as it is greatly needed.

Thank you again for your prayers.

We appreciate you.

Grace and peace,

Earl, Bev, and family

REstart... it's been a long time

I has been a long time since I've posted on my blog. 

Actually it has been almost 2 years and I'll wait no longer. 

I will try to keep it a bit more up to date with at least our newsletters.

Today I'm posting a family newsletter from June 2012, our letter from November 2012 and an update on Lance and his Discipleship Training School experience in Norway. 

I hope you enjoy and if you've read them before, please pray for us again. 

Thank you Father God for second chances,

Earl