Hungary

The first connections made in Hungary were back in 1992 when Dave Gatehouse and Geoff Loveys went there after an invitation from Agi a young Hungarian learning English in Bournemouth.

They visited her in the town of Gyula in Eastern Hungary and took bibles to the Baptist Church she attended. She asked if they would like to meet a couple who in 1991 had left her church to start a mission to help children in the State orphanages by adopting or fostering them. She took them to a small town of Veszto about 45 kilometers away where they met Andor and Maya Toth who were the leaders of the mission and of a church plant there, who explained that God had clearly called them and three other families to set up the Eljada Trust whose aim was to take children out of the orphanages where they would normally stay until they were 18 years old and bring them up in loving, Christian , family homes.

Geoff and Dave felt a real connection with them and left bibles and money that had been given by churches at home so they could have their first children's Summer Camp that year. They later heard that about 30 children from a variety of difficult backgrounds had come to the camp and many had become Christians at that first camp.

In 1993 Andor and Maya were one of the first couples in Hungary allowed to adopt children from the orphanages. Three children joined their family and they then started training to becoming foster parents. This resulted in Andor and Maya becoming the first husband and wife foster parents in Hungary. The Eljada Trust was loaned a large old building called Magor bought by a German trust who shared their vision. It's in a national park near the town and is an old manor house that the communist party had taken over and used as their local headquarters. It needed much renovation before they could move in.

During the following years the Eljada Trust grew and many children were brought into the families to be adopted or fostered. They also used a large marquee to take the Gospel around the local towns and villages and into Romania where they have spent many years working amongst the gypsy communities serving the people there. They also built a church in the town where they meet for worship and fellowship.

Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance.  Registered Charity 251549 (England & Wales) SC037754 (Scotland)