Many of you will be aware that on sat 21st november myself and Naomi got married and it was a fantastic day. we do not have the official photos as yet but there are some available on my facebook. if you are not a friend of mine of facebook yet then please search for me and i will add you.

thanks to all of you who sent cards and gifts myself Naomi really appreciate it.

watch this space for news from the mission in Spain, as i continue walking my spanish steps

Remebrance sunday

This last week i heard the sad news that my old friend Kev Painter from Burton on trent had gone home to be with the Lord. i think he was in his forties a great genuine guy with a great heart and love for the Lord and his family. Myself Ron G, Cath (kevs wife) Lizzy Davo and the Late Chris hunt use to sing in a choir together in Derby we had some great times and they will be with me all my life. although i hadn't seen him in a long time, i will miss Kev my thoughts and Prayers are with Cath, Robyn and his family at this time.

We have all been reminded of the sacrifice i service men and women have paid over the last century and on sunday we had a 2 minute silence and i preached about denying ourselves and taking up our cross, many responded. i used some accounts of people like dietrich bonhoeffer who gave there lives for what they believed.

we are still in the early stages of the youth group and have just recieved back from the printers a whole load of leaflets to give out.
I am also pioneering an older peoples group called Golden Hour on november the 18th this is for those of our community of a certain age and maturity. i am to young and wrinke free but i might still get in.
please pray for these ventures.

and on a personal note....... i am soon getting married to my lovely fiance Naomi in castillo de monda. on Nov 21st please pray that it will be a great day,
any cards etc can be sent to

Calle Galicia, s/n Parquemiel 1-C
Arroyo de La Miel
Benalmadena
Malaga
Spain
29631

your ongoing support is vital and much appreciated

love Dave

My lap top computer is not working and is currently being prepared, please pray i can afford this as the computer is essential to my work in the church.

We now have a table tennis and a football table for the youth club all we need now is young people.

Berenice from france is doing really well and is a blessing to us here.

value your prayers and support.

Dave

newsletter

hi friends and supporters,

just to let you all know that a new newletter has been published and will be available soon. for those in coventry there will be some available shortly. if you would like an email copy please and you are not in coventry elim then please email me.

Davehodgo@aol.com

thanks

last sunday

Dave Hodgson 06 October at 14:50
Last sunday Howard brought some awesome teaching about end time prophecy. This teaching i believe is vital to the body of Christ today. as always in chrisendom whenever there is any flaky teaching on a particular subject we don't counteract it we ignore it (in general). Maybe its good to take a break from "lifestyle preaching" as good and as valuable that is. the other excuse i have heard is people saying "i just don't know enough about it" if i was to follow that logic i would never preach again. On the radio they are talking about it, there is a new movie about it, maybe we should open revelation again and allow ourselves to be stirrred and excited about Christs 2nd coming. your comments are welcome....

Pain in Spain

Please keep praying for me, last week i was diagnosed as having a kidney stone. i know i am a man and in general we don't do pain very well, but this is very painful. i am on anti biotics and pain killers. it has come at such a bad time, because we have just welcomed berenice to our team and she is helping me to set up a weekly youth club. please pray that God heals and we can get on with the task in hand.

The Radio station are pleased with our show, its the first time they have really done anything like this before. they judge popularity by response so i am asking all my friends and supporters to email in and of course listen to the show. you can download it at www.thefamilyfellowship.com or listen live every sunday 7 am uk time on the internet www.talkradioeurope.com . we are recording somemore so if you like to send us an email to 2revs@thefamilyfellowship.com we will include you in our show. we believe this show will highten our appeal as a church to the local area.

We are really sensing God in our meetings and are believing that God will continue to show us success.

please keep praying for me that financial provision will increase and i don't have to eat any savings i have left. thank you so much to all my existing supporters i am so grateful that i can be released to work in this church.

now don't forget to email your request now!!

Elim family fellowship and the 2 revs

both the elim family fellowship and 2 revs radio show can now be found on facebook search for us and become a fan and that way you can keep upto date with all that is happening at the church and on the show.

today we will be holding a pastors meeting to plan out the next season of ministry in the church. please keep us up lifted in prayer.

also please be aware that for the foreseeable future the radio show will not be repeated on a sunday evening. we will however shortly be available on demand, info to follow, watch this space.

Renovations, Radio, wedding, Newsletter and Berenice

Hi guys, thanks for reading this blog i will endeavor to keep you upto date as best i can.

we are currently having our community renovated (area where the church is located) with new tiles and railings. which mean't for the last few weeks we have not been able to access the building which mean't no church. we attended a spanish speaking church in fuengirola and although it was hard for me to understand all of it, i certainly felt Gods presence in a tangible way. we are hoping to be back open this sunday 11 am.

the Radio show is going well with lots of good feedback, we had an atheist contact the show asking if Jesus was circumsized then how come you Christians aren't required to be, well if you wanna know how we answered it you should have listened to the show. every sunday 8 am and 9pm online at www.talkradioeurope.com

rest assured there will be a newsletter shortly.

A young lady from elim church in thonon will shortly being arriving to do 3 months work experience with us here in the church. her name is bernice she is 17 yrs old i met her whilst involved with a mission to her church last year please pray for her during this time.

on a personal level Naomi starts her new job today at the british college, please pray that she settles in well and is a great witness to God there.

well bye for now, i'm missing you all but not the british weather.

E-News

Hi friends, i haven't blogged for a while so i thought i'd let you know i am still alive. I am back in Spain now and raring to go. I had a great time back in the UK and it was nice to wear a jumper again. it was great to catch up with friends at fraisthorpe camp, myself and duncan partook in the wendy waffle experience again (oh how i will miss those waffles but not the after effects). it was great to see Iain and Rach again and my new friend Rusty. it was great to see the cov lot aswell, including claire roberts whom still to this day will deny ever putting eggs in my wellies, she wasn't to know i borrowed them from the Rev Gordon Neale. along with a sprinkling of jokes from Andy Lenton it was a great week.

God did some amazing acts in peoples lifes i feel honoured that he allowed me to witness great transformations.

Back in ole espana now, this morning i popped down to the casa de cultura to see about doing some spanish lessons in september, i will need to go and sign up on september the 2nd i'm praying that there will be room, as spaces are at a premium.

A young lady called berenice will be coming to do work experience with us at the family fellowship for a few months. Berenice heralds from our elim church in thonon, i know her pastor Luc and i met her last year on mission to france. please pray for her as she arrives in spain early september.

Our church building is currently out of use due to renovations taking place in the local community. it has been strange not having any sunday meetings, however this last sunday myself and the Coley clan went to a spanish church in furengirola, i really enjoyed it and they certainly know how to worship.

The radio programme goes from strength to strength. last week we had an email from an athiest who said he would normally turn off a show like ours but continued to listen and liked so much he emailed us with a theological question. you can listen to the show in the Uk please allow for time difference, listen online at www.talkradioeurope.com "2 Rev's an hour" on talk radio europe.

wedding plans are going well all i need to do is find a suit of armour and i am ready. Naomi is about to embark upon a new job and we would appreciate your prayers.

financially: i thank God for his continued favour upon this mission. I am always looking for more support both in finances and genuine prayer. if you can help please contact me or elim missions. my Email address is Davehodgo@aol.com or to email the show 2revs@thefamilyfellowship.co.uk
my moblie number is 0034 695 115 496.

many thanks to my existing supporters without whom i could not be doing what i am doing here in benalmadena. may God richly bless you.

Fraisthorpe camp

On wednsday i left the fraisthorpe field for the last time, after so many years of fun food and fellowship and so many memories of making lasting friendships and meeting new people every year. but fraistorpe is more than that, it has something no other camp has, something unique to fraisthorpe camp..... a kebab making machine!!! in all seriousness we saw God moving in amazing ways amongst the young adults and i'm sure we were not the only tent to have experienced it. I'm reluctant if i'm honest to move campsite but i'm sure the new place will be good, because its the people that make it. a special mention to Sandra hutchinson who mentioned that she is an avid reader of this blog, hi San.

i spent the middle weekend speaking at all three services in coventry elim, it was great to see you guys again. its my sending church and it feels like i have arrived home when i'm there.

I'm back in Derby today visiting my family, then i fly back to Spain on saturday to see Naomi whom i have missed an aweful lot over these last 2 weeks.

God is good

Radio programme

Finally i can confirm the details of our new show on talk radio europe, you can hear my dulcet tones every sunday morning at 8am C.E.T and from august repeated in the evening at 9pm cet.
those listening in the UK please remember the hour time difference. i'm thanking God for a fantastic opportunity on a big secular station. dont touch that dial.

listen online www.talkradioeurope.com

or you can email the show: tworevs@hkint.co.uk

Talk Radio Europe

Myself and Pastor Howard are currently in discussions with talk radio europe with a view to having a Christian Radio programme on every sunday. last week we recorded a pilot edition of the show which to our supprise was broadcast on the station last sunday morning. this is real opportunity to share our faith on a secular station. Spain is not tied up by rules and regulations on broadcasting and we are allowed to talk about Jesus as much as we want. this station is the most listened to english speaking station in Spain and is broadcast from as far as Cadiz right up to to benidorm and also over madrid. it is also available on the web. i will be hosting with Howard as the co host, we are very excited by this development and believe it will benefit the elim family fellowship in benalmadena. please pray for ongoing favour upon us as we continue to build relationships with this influential radio station.

for my story on my interest in radio schroll down to a previous blog post.

thank you for your prayers and financial support without which this ministry would not be possible. hope you feel a part of it.

have a look at the stations website http://www.talkradioeurope.com/

i will give you more info on when you can listen to the show online soon
Dave

wedding news

I'm very excited about Marrying Naomi Jayne Coley this November on the 21st. well that is probably a bit of an under statement really. We are having a medievel themed wedding in the Castillo de monda in Monda near Marbella. hehe, excuse me for a minute while grin to myself and have a cheekey snigger. yes you heard it right Daves getting married in restored castle in Spain, i'm still coming to terms with itmyself, it has not quite sunken in yet. as you can tell i'm excited and you not mean't to be excited in library. hey why not check out the castle/hotel http://www.castillodemonda.es . we are asking our guests to dress in a medieval style and so to fully enter in to this wonderful occasion. there are numerous websites to view about medieval outfits, rumour has my dad is going as Zorro and Steve millward as dark tanian oh well we will soon find out. i would like to invite everyone i know but thats impossible so if you don't recieve an invite i still love you loads. please pray that God will continue as he has already to show us his favour, especially with those agencies that are processing our paperwork etc.

God is good, after all these years of waiting upon him he has brought a beautiful young lady into my life.

he is awesome

RADIO

it appears that God has opened a door for us to have a show on an english speaking radio sation. more news to follow but please pray that this will happen and God will continue to make ways for our message to be spread.

Update

Purpose driven life course:
after the alpha course, i decided to take the same group of people through a purpose driven life course, this has just come to the conclusion, next week we are going to have a chinese meal to celebrate the end of the course. we are going to continue meeting in this group, with maybe a small break over august.

Youth Group:
last week we had 4 young people in our youth house group they all seem to be enjoying themselves and learning more about their faith

Prayer Group:
yesterday we went and prayed around Benalmadena pueblo (village) this is a place further in land from Benalmadena Costa where the church is situated. Benalmadena pueblo is home to the area's Mayor and ayuntamiento (town hall) so we felt it was time we prayed for the authorities that govern Benalmadena and Arroyo de la miel.

Brand new Spanish lessons:
for those brits (myself included) who cannot speak the local lingo, there is now a Spanish class at our church. it all began with a conversation over a coffee with some of our congregation, Naomi agreed to be our teacher (a fine teacher she is too) i know she reads this blog. so from next week this blog is in Spanish (joking of course).

Wedding
God has really shown favour to myself and Naomi, without his help we wouldn't have got the wedding venue of the year. We are getting married in a restored medieval/moorish Castle in the Spanish countryside. We looked around knowing it was far beyond our financial capabilities, it was a bit like looking around harods and only having a fiver to spend. but God has blessed us and we still need more miracles but i'm so grateful to him for blessing Naomi and myself it such a lavish way. We tie the knot on 21st november 2009.

Back in the UK, i am flying back to the uk in a few weeks time for 2 weeks. i am resuming my role on the youth team at fraisthorpe camp and preaching in the 3 services at coventry elim on the middle saturday of camp.

Star trek: best star trek film ever, go and see it!!!

live long and prosper

not man flu again

i would appreciate your prayers as i'm feeling ill a lot. i never used to feel ill quite as much in coventry, it may well be that i'm adapting to a new country, climate and different bacteria. i would really appreciate your prayers.

I'm meeting a man called maurice boreland who is C.O of talk radio europe, its discussion about the possibilty of having a religious programme on his network, i'm meeting him on monday at 12 pm C.E.T please pray for Gods favour on that meeting.

well i really missed conference and all my pals, hope to be there next year. please keep in touch its always nice to hear whats going on in dear old England.

Dave Hodgson, News at ten, Malaga

thanks for all your congratulations

Myself and Naomi have been bowled over by the amount of congratulations we have recieved either by cards or facebook comments. We are still in the process of planning the wedding and loads of paper work has to be completed first, please pray that Gods hand and favour will be upon us both at this time.
you can keep upto date on our wedding website
and also you can leave comments.
Dave Hodgson http://www.ewedding.com/sites/Naomi81/
Naomi

thanks for your ongoing support

feeling hot! hot Hot!

yesterday the temperature in benalmadena read 34 degrees, sweat was pouring off me. i have been informed that i haven't seen anything yet. maybe i shouldn't had worn my sheepskin coat.

God is so good!

Yesterday we really felt Gods Spirit so strong in our meetings, people were getting stuff dealt with that had been lingering in their lives for a long time. God is so good and has been meeting with us in dynamic ways recently.

On a personal level myself and Naomi are both very excited about getting married. there is a lot of paperwork to do and a lot of organizing which is not easy when you are on a shoestring budget. we are both believing that, if God is in this he will also provide in which ever way he so desires. please continue to pray for us both and in general for the ministry here in benalmadena.

prayer requests

Youth House group, that those who come will continue too and they will grow in God.
Purpose driven life course: that God will knit that group together
Church: Gods guidance and Gods provision.

Myself: that i dont get too homesick. (thats a preventive prayer) also for more monthly financial support.

i canny complain though God has been good, i´m enjoying getting to know everyone and of course i have a wonderful fiance! so hey "praise ye the LORD"!!!!

Oramos por Espana (we are praying for you Spain)

On saturday we took 4 car loads of people to Spanish capital of Madrid. We attended and partook in a Prayer concert. it was great to see many denominational leaders pray for Spain. We know that God blesses unity and i'm excited as to all that God has for us here in Spain. there were a few thousand there, but when you think Spain has 4o million plus in habitants then you get the picture that there is a lot to be done, But God will have his way with us or without us. Spain is well overdue for a move of God, we musn't just view it as a place for fun and holidays its so much more it so rich in culture and tradition. but even more than that it's a nation where well over the majority of the people will be going to hell unless someone tells them. we don't like talking much of hell because it seems politically incorrect but maybe if we did have a concept of it we would have more urgency and conviction in our witnessing. anyway i'm preaching now better stop, although i plead with you, please don't stop praying for us that our message will be heard and understood and that God will move mightly en Espana.

rules of engagement part 2 scroll down for part one its back to front

So we arrived in London, i don't think Naomi could really believe she was there. yesterday she had assumed we would have had drama group and then a trip to the local park and now she is next to big ben. i informed her we were about to take a boat trip on the thames.

we sat down on this big open top city cruiser, there must had been around 80-100 people on it. I then went off to ask the driver to help me in my quest for her hand in marriage. As we approached tower bridge naomi and myself and got up to get off at the next stop. the driver then said "and now for something special, Dave Hodgson (in an East end accent) has an important question for Naomi Coley" i then went and stood in the aisle and called Naomi to me she went very shy and froze to the spot. i asked her again and my heart felt like it was going to burst out my chest. thankfully she came and i got down on one knee opened the case of the ring and said Naomi will you marry me. she said.........................................Yes!!!!!!!!!!
i looked around at all the other passengers and i said "she said yes folks" and they all cheered and clapped. it was like a rom com film.

we had loads of nice comments from the passengers and the crew. we then bumped into around 20 spanish people who said congatulations, when Naomi replied in andalucian spanish they were amazed they made a big fuss. you can see the photos on my facebook page.

there was a lot more to the weekend but fingers are tired from typing, i will fill you all in. thanks for your prayers and support.

Rules of Engagement

Well, well, well, i better you never thought it! its still hasn't really sunk in with me yet. But yes i am now engaged. So here is the full story on how it all happened from my point of view anyway. the most important aspect of the story however is that Naomi said yes and she didn't need any bribes. i warn you its a long story so why don't you grab a pot of tea and some biscuits, put your slippers on and maybe a nice relaxing John Denver album and chill out.

I booked the flights and arranged the accomadation at my brothers place, i bought the ring from a shop in Spain. i arranged also with Naomi's boss for her to leave work early on the friday. So myself and Naomi's Parents turned up at work place on friday night around half five, we asked her to hand her car keys over as she would not be needing them for a while (Her car was then driven back home for the weekend later on) we then took Naomi on a drive, she thought we were going to Malaga to a nice restaurant. She knew a proposal was inimate because we had both openly discussed it but she did't know the timing all the place, but as soon as we picked her up she knew it was the suprise i had planned.

We then arrived at the airport, myself and Naomi's parents all jumped out of the car and she said do you want me to get out? a resounding yes was the reply. she was then presented with her pre- packed case and her passport, as we said good bye to Sue and Howard i informed her we were flying to England and our previous plans of a picnic in a local park had gone for a burton.

So we arrived in England, we stayed the night at my bro's and then i as i was about to reveal to Naomi our destination for the day (London) Tony revealed a suprise for me, he and his girlfriend had purchased first class tickets so we could arrived at st pancras in comfort. (thanks Guys).

part 2 coming soon

Happy May day

In Spain they take there may day holiday on may the 1st regardless of what day it falls on, this week we had a long weekend with friday as an extra holiday, so myself and Naomi went to ronda a lovely town in the mountains of andalucia. It has a gorge with an amazing deep bridge. i will post some pics soon. back to office today.

We had a fantastic service yesterday, God really met with us. Throughout the week i had a feeling that God wanted to move powerfully in the service, i was speaking from psalm 85 where the psalmist cries "Lord will you not revive us again" we prayed for people at the end and many felt empowered. please pray for more encounters like this.

last week we held a coastwide pastors meeting at the church, around thirty to forty leaders were there, this is kind of unprecedented, so praise God for what he is doing. We are hoping to organize a joint worship time where churches gather together. please pray for continued unity in these times.

Prayer requests: please pray for health and protection for our leaders Howard, Sue, Naomi and myself.
also for ongoing financial provision for the church and for my ministry. thanks for all your support it is very much appreciated. God Bless

feeling better

I'm back! sorry for no posts recently, i have been laid up for a while. i went to the doctors and i have acute gastroan..... (severe stomach bug) it doesn't feel cute either. so i have been wallowing in moans and groans that can only truly come from a man when he is ill, i think Naomi must have a headache now bless her.
i'm starting to feel better now but its not giving up easy.

We did however manage to still do the youth housegroup this week we looked at Jeremiah and understanding that God has a plan for our lives.

tomorrow night we are hosting a Pastors meeting, for leaders up and down the coast both Spanish and english speaking, please pray that God brings much needed unity amongst us.

thanks for your ongoing prayers and support.

p.s my parents are attending the loughbourough elim church and loving it.

It must be strange for my folks to have both of there boys abroad, me here in Spain and Tony is in the big apple, the big smoke or New york New york (so good they named it twice). Tony is celebrating his 30th this week so happy birthday bruv.

the 2nd youth housegroup was a success and i'm about to start preparing my sermon for easter sunday. hope you all got the message in coventry elim yesterday from me, miss you loads. please pray that many come and see the dramas we are preparing for easter sunday.

Naomi is the best, God is good and i have a head ache so all is ticking along. praise God

Great News!!!!

Yesterday my parents came to church whilst visiting me here i s southern Spain, i am pleased to tell all my friends that my mum became a Christian and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. after 17 years of prayer and heartache she has turned to Jesus. Please continue to pray for my dad and also that my mum can receive some sort of follow up back in the UK. praise God from whom all blessing flow.

Update

well this week sees my parents arrive here on the Costa, they are arriving tomorrow and they are staying for five days. i'm looking forward to showing them around and just spending some quality time with them. yesterday was really good we had a guest speaker Juanita Johnson from a spanish speaking church in furengirola, he spoke about living our live's whole hearted and making space for growth both in our own live's and the life of the Church.

On a worldly note it was good to see Ray win dancing on ice, he was the best by a country mile, i went to my lovely girlfriends house to watch it. Naomi is good by the way, she is awesome and God has really blessed me.

this thursday night i start the first ever youth housegroup at 7.30pm please pray that God will really bless that time together and that there is a real unity amongst the youth.

thanks for all your continued support miss you all loads and loads.

sharing on the streets of Benalmadena

Yesterday i did something i haven´t done for a long time, i went out on the streets to talk with people about there faith and share the good news. Its always a challenge to me because i can get shy (believe it or not), and so i have to step out of my comfort zone and once i have done it once, i can talk for England or Spain. We had 4 great conversations and one lady in particular who said she would come to our easter service. i always get a buzz from doing this and i always wonder why i don´t do it more often.....

hi from España

Hi guys, i´d love to report to you that its raining and cold but its Sunny and warm eeeekkk sorry bout´that. I´m currently covered in white paint from painting the office this morning so people are looking at me strangely in this internet cafe.

Things are good here, Naomi is well and so are the rest of the Coleys. Howard preached at a Spanish speaking fellowship yesterday and all went well there. I preached about the apostle Paul, past, present and future and recieved good feedback. its an issue that i have faced so i am sure others are in the same boat from time to time. its a real art to not allow your past to distract you from your God given destiny. anyway i´m going into preaching mode again.....

My parents are coming out to see me next week and i cannot wait to see them, its only been 4 weeks, what a big softie!! anyway keep up the emails and the calls and keep me in your Prayers.

p.s please Pray for our new youth house group that starts a week on thursday. will let you know how it went.

lots of love from Dave

Young & older

Well today i started painting the office and manage to cover myself but nevermind. i also started work on a sermon for this sunday morning. i´m enjoying working here and trying my best to remember peoples names. You would think it would be easier considering i come from a church of over 500 people. but i still manage to get it wrong on quite a regular basis. We had a dedication yesterday for a little baby boy called Javier, he is so cute and didn´t cry! we had a faith meal after church in celebration. well i´m off to cell group now so no rest for Holy (joke) bye for now. Dave

practical stuff

Well i finally have a phone now in Spain if you ring me i will give you my new number (joke) mi numero es 0034 695 115496.
i also have a bank account in Spain now and i´m currently waiting for my debit card to arrive. So thats all good.
I have been working in the church office this week, it a big change from what i´m use to but i am absolutely loving it, so no complaints from me. this last sunday i was inducted into the ministry of the Church by John Knox head of the federation of Elim churchs in Spain. God is so good even when i have a tinge of homesickness and missing my friends and family i know his presence helping me. i already have some really fgood friends here, Lucy, Sam and Alex, Howard and Sue, Senger and Jackie and of course Naomi who has helped me settle in so well. you could say God has blessed this boy and i´m very grateful for that. still have no internet access at home so unfortuantly my updates are a tad sparodic, but they should get more frequent. please keep me in your prayers and let me know whats happening with you guys too. Every blessing, Rev DJH

a new life

i have been in Spain for one week now and it has seemingly flown by. I must be enjoying myself, well i am, to quote Macdonalds "i´m Lovin It". God has been good to me over this transitional period and i think there is still a lot more transitioning to do. i had my first service in the church yesterday and they put on a welcome lunch for me as well as a birthday cake which was a lovely suprise. i feel well and truly welcomed!
the strangest feeling i encountered was whilst waking up one morning last week the realisation hit me that i was living in a foreign land and i´m not planning on going back, that was strange and it took me by suprise. I also was taken back by the emotion i felt saying goodbye to my family i had the saddness of leaving entwined with the happiness of arriving in Spain, my head and heart have been all over the place, but i think they are both begining to settle down now. I also had the nice suprise of Naomi picking me up from the airport, she was allowed to leave work early, that also made things more easier when arriving.
so looking forward i am excited as to all that God has in store for us all here the elim family fellowship. next week i´m being officially inducted into the church when John Knox head of elim españa will be visiting Benalmadena. so i will sign out by thanking you all for your ongoing support both in Prayer and provision. watch this space for more of my Spanish steps.

focused advertising

i know i should have other things to worry about today, but i find personalized adverts aimed at me about weight loss and regaining a full head of hair. if i wasn't insecure then i am now lol. anyway the sun might bring my hair back if not i will have to wait for heaven, until then i will be happy i mean it hasn't stop jean luc picard.

anyway catching a plane later you may have heard about it......

on the edge of the boat

Well its the day before i leave, i can't believe its here, it feels so strange. i have been working upto this date for such along time at one point i thought it would never come. i have used the term mixed emotions so much this week. i said good bye to my dad today and my nan yesterday my mother and brother are taking me to the airport to make sure i leave the Uk and all her teritories.
There has been more than the odd tear and i think a few more are on the menu tomorrow tambien. i was thinking as hard as it is for me to leave everybody it would be harder to stay with the "what if i had tried it" thoughts.
i will be seeing my parents in spain in march so that will be nice.
On the other hand i'm really excited, i can't wait to see Naomi again, i can't wait to get into my new flat and i can't wait to settle into a new ministry. i just wish i could have the best of both worlds.
God has blessed me so much, please continue to remember me in your prayers.

will miss all my friends in the UK so much........

watch this space to find out if i sleep well on my first night in Spain!!

Back at Derby Elim

its my own fault i should never had boasted! all winter i have been boasting about the fact that i have not had a cold whilst all in sundry suffered. i well and truly have one now and as you will be aware from medical science men tend to get a stronger strain than women, but far be it from me to moan, although i have been up all night with it!!!
i managed to get through my sermon on sat night at aog church in coventry. We had a great evening and many responded to the call to step out in faith. Yesterday i returned to my home church the City Church Derby. it was great to catch up with so many familiar faces from the past and share a challenging word about taking more risks in life. i get very reminicent when i go back to Derby elim and this was no different, plus it was good opportunity to meet with my friends Dan and Dave who pastor the church there.
i'm going to post again tomorrow and share with you just some of the thoughts and emotions i have regarding my move to Spain.
I'm missing Coventry Elim a lot and on the other hand i cannot wait to take the plunge more about that later......

Back in Cov

for one night only, i'm back in the sky blue city preaching at Christian life ministries (A.O.G) at an 18 -30 meeting. i'm still 32 until the 18th feb so i think i can manage to sneak in. although so called friends remind me i look 42. all i have to say is that i will look younger in heaven and a full head of hair.

Count down is on i leave a week on monday (16th) it feels so real now!!!

Good Bye Coventry

Well, i can't believe it but i have left Coventry now. emptied my flat (which was no mean feat) filled the Car and headed down leicestershire way. Sunday was an emotional affair it took all my strength to stop myself from breaking down and becoming an emotional wreck on the floor. Even though the future is so exciting it doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye. its natural that your life becomes entwined with those around you (they call it loving community) and you do life together, my heart has something missing now. but i know with all my heart that i'm doing the right thing. a lot of my blog will talk about Spain so i hope you don't mind my indulgence in talking about Coventry for a moment.
I never really liked the city much at first but it grew on me, certainly i have made some great friends and i will look forward to keeping intouch over the years to come. I owe a lot to Cov-elim, you put up with my jokes and sermons and my mistakes, you gave me space to grow, to mess up and on occassions succeed. there always be a place in my heart for Coventry although you must realise i'm not talking football that place is reserved for the rams.

i'm in Kegworth for 2 weeks doing some itenerate preaching, then i head out to Spain on the 16th of feb, to start the next chapt of the exciting adventure God has called me on.

please keep me in your Prayers over this time of transition. P.S go and see Valkyrie its a great film.

sponsorship

I have been overwhelmed by the support and best wishes i have been recieving and i'm really grateful to God. My aim is to work in the church in Benalmadena full time without having to aquire another job to supplement my income. I have attained half of what i need on monthly basis to live on and this stage i have been informed i doing well. please would you continue to pray with me that God will continue to provide, i know he will. again thanks for your ongoing support.
Every Blessing

its all a bit weird

well i can't believe it i'm clearing out my desk and getting ready to move out of my flat on saturday, its all a bit strange. everything i have known for the last 6 and half years is about to change. Its very exciting too, i'm currently preparing a message for sunday night my final night at cov elim. please keep me in your prayers!!!!!!

thanks!!!

thank you
I feel like i have been saying that a lot lately and i'm going to continue. As i look back on this last weekend i'm thankful, thankful to my beautiful girlfriend Naomi for journeying over from Spain to meet my friends and family oh and to see me of course (lol). i'm also thankful to all who took part in making my leaving concert on saturday night a great event.We took an offering and raised £1.048 pounds which will be winging its way to elim HQ shortly, again i'm thankful to all those who gave so generously.i'm thankful to all those who came to see me from Coventry and other parts of the UK, i truly am blessed to have some great friends and family.I, of course i'm thankful to God for putting his hand upon all that has happen this weekend, he has and is continuing to bless me in so many ways.if you are reading this blog and you want to know when its updated you can become a follower on the right of this page at the top. that way you know when a new blog has been released.and now into my final 3 weeks in the UK and my final week in Coventry, please keep me in your Prayers. thanks again, DaveDates: Sunday 1st feb: my final day in coventry, Chris Jones (speaking am) myself (speaking pm) will be preaching.Saturday 7th back in cov for a few hours speaking at an 18-30s conference at the assemblies of God Church.16th feb leave on a plane to Spain.

its an honour

My colleague Helen Smallwood mentioned briefly in a prayer this morning, the honour it is to be in the ministry. just over 6 years ago i was working in an office in car dealership who would had thought that i would be here today. there is nothing wrong with working in the motor trade if thats Gods call for you and your passion is there. but i kinda felt unsettled for a while and i knew a change was on the cards, thats when i felt an unction from God about going to bible college.
As i look back on my years in Coventry i count it an honour to have been allowed the opportunity with Gods help to minister into peoples lives.
Now again i feel that familiar unction that its time for pastures new, its with excitement of all thats to come plus a tinge of sadness of all that i'm leaving behind that i take this next step. please continue to uphold me in Prayer before our Lord.
its truly been an honour.

Dates for your prayer diary

24th Jan leaving concert/party: please let me know if you plan to be there.
1st Feb my last sunday at Cov elim: with guest speaker, Chris Jones from Elim HQ
7th Feb i'm speaking at an 18-30s conference at the A.O.G church in Coventry
8th Feb i'm speaking at Derby City Church at their Am service
15th Feb speaking at the elim church in Sheffield
16th Feb leave for Spain
18th feb my birthday: a Curry and a Cake. send your gifts early lol

Take it easyjet

just a quick post to say that i have booked a one way ticket to Spain, yes you heard it right a one way ticket. it is a cheaper way of flying but not advisable if you are planning on coming back to the UK. So thats it no going back, i'm so excited but i'm going to miss all of my UK friends and family so much. please keep me in your Prayers, God has been so good to me.

Elim missions meeting

Just a quick entry to mention that i met with Chris Jones (elims national missions director) in birmingham today. All went well and after the football chit chat we got down to discussing the mission in Spain. to sum it up Elim are happy and i'm Happy with the progress so far, so full steam ahead!!
look out Spain!!!

Everything's New!

New year, New opportunities, New Blog.

Well congratulations you have found my blog called "Spanish Steps" well done!
in this blog i will endeavor to keep you informed with all thats happening with my ministry in Spain and also the Coley family whom i will be working with.

for complete background to my calling you can obtain a leaflet detailing the initial stages of my calling to Spain with all its twists and turns.

I spent Christmas day with my family in Derby and then flew out to spain on new years eve. this was a great time spent with my girlfriend Naomi who lives there in a Pueblo called Mijas. I preached in the church on Sunday morning about stepping into your dreams using the text from Joshua chapter 3.
One morning myself, Pastor Howard and Pastor Sue, spent some time looking at possible appartments to live in. I loved the first one i saw which can be dangerous but i knew straight away that this was the one for me. its in a place called arroyo de la miel, which is a spanish area closely linked to benalmadena Costa where the Church is. this will hopefully help me to reach out to the Spanish in my local area.

God has really blessed me with this provision. please would you join me in prayer for the finances to come in, i have about half of what i need to live on. i thank God for all that he is doing, for the people i have met and for all the opportunities that are coming my way.

Dates for your Diary: Farewell Concert Sat, 23rd of January 2009, 7pm @coventry elim.
please inform me that you are coming for catering reasons. email me Davehodgo@aol.com

My final sunday is the 1st of feb when Chris Jones will be speaking. Chris is the missions director for the Elim movement.

watch this space for more news!!