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Tony and Agi Frei | Serving in Hungary

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am very grateful to God because I can declare together with Samuel: “The LORD helped us all the way to this place!” 1 Samuel 7:12.

A little remembrance: In February I celebrated my birthday, I turned 60 years old. Also, we started our mission in Tolna on March 27, 1997, and after that, we were registered as EFC Hungary. Here are some special moments in a ministry that were accomplished in 2023.

In August 2023, we arranged the EFC Hungary youth camp and the children’s days. There were about 20 youth and young adults in the youth camp, for three days. They had meetings every morning and afternoon. Their main topic was how it is possible to hear God’s calling for their life. On the children’s days, there were about 80-100 children, with whom my wife, Ági could share the gospel. We also provided them with lunch and some arts and crafts activities. In the afternoon, we spent time near the river Danube and the firemen visited us and provided a so-called “foam party”, which the children enjoyed very much. On that weekend, at the Sunday church meeting, these children’s parents were invited to church so we could talk to them about Jesus.

In Budapest, we have had children’s bible study meetings every month for three years now. These church meetings are perfect occasions for sharing the good news with children and with adults as well. Our experience is that these are quite fruitful meetings. Also, last year was very busy for us. Our friends, Thomas and his missions group from Germany visited us and we had street mission and evangelical meetings in the church in Tolna, Budapest, Ozora, and in Serbia.

Last year, after COVID-19, we finally managed to organize the EFC Hungary General Assembly and EFC-I Europe Conference. Adrian & Lisa Halverstadt, the director of the EFC-I Council, and his wife were here. Together with them, we arranged the EFC-I Europe conference in October. Before the conference, they served in Serbia, Kölked, Budapest, Pécs, and in Tolna. We are very grateful for them; their presence and ministry were a big blessing for us.

At the EFC-I Europe Conference, we listened to different reports, and we made some decisions. I am grateful for our youth that I could hand out some of my tasks and positions to them. My goal for the next years is that I could find successors for every position and that we could build the EFC in Europe as well. Please, pray for that.

We had a guest from Burundi, Dr. Donatien, who recently worked in France as a doctor. We are hoping to start EFC with him in France. After the conference, Dr. Donatien stayed with us for a week, and he served in all our churches. It was a big blessing for our mission and for Dr. Donatien as well, since the brothers and sisters encouraged him for the new French church planting.

Tim and Ethel were here at the EFC-I Europe Conference as the representatives of the Quaker friends. It was useful as the church could build friendships with them. Last year, we had three weddings and a public testimony of baptism meeting.

We were in Ukraine from November 29- December 2, 2023, so we could hand out food and clothes. Before Christmas, we also handed out food and sweets with our co-workers to the poor people in Serbia, Croatia, and in Hungary. We also gave them biblical calendars, prospects, and Bibles.

I am very thankful for all of my co-workers. They help me to build boats and ships in these hard times for the glory of God and for the saving of people.

With love and blessing,

Tony and Ági Frei

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Tony and Agi Frei | Serving in Hungary

It is my desire and pleasure to share with you, my experience and thoughts about the EFM Worldwide Missionary Gathering that took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand between December 2-7, 2022. Originally, I was not going to participate in the Gathering in person due to my battle with long COVID-19, but David (William)’s and Adrian (Halverstadt)’s love and encouragement during an EFC-I Zoom meeting convinced me otherwise. The flight from Hungary to Thailand was 30 hours there and 26 hours back. On the way back, I caught a cold. It made my work in the church over Christmas more difficult, but our Father helped me through it.

 The time I spent in Chiang Mai with my brothers, sisters, and fellow workers was like a dream. The beautiful environment was like the entrance hall to Heaven! In fact, my ten-year-old students in the Primary School where I teach watched the video I made while there and one of them asked, “Uncle Tony, is it, Heaven?”. This is what Jesus says, “All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other” (John 13:35). I believe that we all felt this Godly love coming from each other. English is not my mother tongue, yet I felt loved and accepted by all present, despite the language barrier.

I am convinced that no online platform or virtual conference can replace in-person interaction and time spent together. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know my brothers and sisters in person. I have received tons of love and encouragement from them.

Our brother, Alan Amavisca’s teaching from 1 Samuel Chapter 14 was particularly interesting and valuable for me. It is a seldom preached passage of the Bible. We received a profound message from him, which then we discussed, applied, and internalized in small groups interactively. Special thanks to sister Lisa Halverstadt, who kindly and lovingly helped Sabino, his daughter Clariver, and me, whose first language isn’t English, during the small group discussions.

I am grateful to God that this is the church where we started planting churches 25 years ago, in accordance with Romans 15:20-21, which is our scripture of calling. We worked with our brother, Dr. John Williams for 20 years, and it is his love in Christ that I experienced in Chiang Mai from all the EFM and the EFC-I Council leaders. (I should mention everyone by name here really.) Jesus says, “The one who leads should be like one who serves” (Luke 22:26). I observed and felt this kind of serving love and humility by all the leaders in the EFM and the EFC-I Council.

On my return, I had a wonderful testimony to share about the Chiang Mai Conference. Numerous photos and videos brought the events to life for my brothers and sisters in Hungary, Serbia, and Croatia. We all feel blessed and grateful that we can build our church in Hungary and Europe as part of EFM. God has given us a real home in this family. We are so thankful for you all.

In Christ’s love,
Antal (Tony) Frei

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We managed to travel to Ukraine by the grace of God for the first time in the last days of July.

We have been praying to God since the beginning of the conflict to prepare a way for us, so that we could take the donations to Ukraine for the poor ones, the refugees, and for the sufferers. God had placed this burden on my heart.

In the last few months, my co-worker, Szilvi, who was born in Ukraine and was four years old when she moved to Hungary with her mother, contacted her relatives after 46 years. Her relatives added me as a friend on Facebook and we started to have a good relationship. They helped us with everything. Szilvi’s uncle’s wife, Marika, was used by God to build the acquaintanceship.

We packed a car of seven passengers and a trailer full with 800 kilograms of food and took it to Ukraine. I am enclosing some pictures of it here. We could help and hand the food packets personally to the poor ones and refugees. We mailed 18 kilograms of packets to the conflict-worn citizens and to the ones who stayed at home.

We built very good relationships with the help of God. We saw in Ukraine that the Hungarians, the Hungarian-speaking gypsies, the Ukrainians, and even the Russians live in peace with each other. We handed out food packets to about 30 families, from all of these four people groups.

We worked with two churches in Nagyszőllős. In one of them, we served in the church meeting. They promised us to help in every area on our next mission journey as a host church. We are preparing our next mission journey at the end of November before Christmas. Thank you in advance for your support on our next mission trip!

Our mission might be very little in a country of 40 million people, but for those whom we could help meant a lot.

We are thankful for our Hungarian supporters, for Evangelical Friends Mission (EFM), and for the helpers in Ukraine for the accommodation, the coordination, and the financial, physical and spiritual help.

May God bless everyone who supported us. God helped us in everything. Glory and thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ.

We think of you with love and gratefulness.

Antal (Tony) Frei

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Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

My daughter, Betti invited Angelica Moore (EFM Short Term Missionary) last Monday to one of her English classes. They had a very blessed time together. Below you can read her report of that.

Every blessing to you all!

With love,
Tony

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Tony y Agi Frei | Sirviendo en Hungría

A pesar de la pandemia de COVID-19, Dios le dio muchas bendiciones a nuestra iglesia. Hubo muchas dificultades, restricciones y cierres de iglesias, pero nuestro Dios siempre estuvo con nosotros como prometió: “Nunca te dejaré, nunca te desampararé”. (Hebreos 13: 5).

Podemos estar especialmente agradecidos con Él por tres áreas principales en la misión: (1) el trabajo con los niños, (2) el trabajo del grupo de jóvenes y (3) la misión gitana.

El trabajo con los niños

Después de un largo descanso, pudimos organizar días de reuniones para niños en tres lugares de la misión: Ozora, Budapest y Tolna. Creo que es una gran oportunidad por medio de esta forma en que podemos llegar a los padres inconversos a través de sus niños. El programa fue similar en todos los lugares. Comenzamos cantando canciones infantiles cristianas. Después, mi esposa les enseñó a los niños una historia de la Biblia (ella también incluyó el evangelio). Luego oramos junto con ellos. Finalmente, hicimos algunas manualidades que los niños disfrutaron mucho.

En Ozora, hice un trato con el líder local de la casa comunitaria. Nos permitió volver a organizar reuniones, ya que la situación del virus ha mejorado en nuestro país. El 14 de agosto, después de algunas reuniones de la iglesia, se celebró el primer día de los niños. Ozora es un pueblo con muchas familias gitanas. La gente es muy pobre, pero tiene un corazón abierto a la palabra de Dios. Al final del día de los niños, les hicimos pequeños obsequios, caramelos y algunos vestidos de donación.

El 15 de agosto organizamos un día del niño en Budapest. Como solo duró unas pocas horas, los padres no-creyentes se quedaron allí, se involucraron y también escucharon las Buenas Nuevas. Creo que las semillas cayeron en un buen terreno. Cada cuarto domingo, decidimos organizar un día del niño en Budapest, ya que de esta manera nuevos padres no-creyentes vienen a la iglesia y escuchan el evangelio.

En tercer lugar, el 20 de agosto tuvimos un día de los niños durante todo el día en Tolna. El programa fue similar al de Ozora. Había entre 30 y 35 niños. Después del almuerzo, llevamos a los niños a la orilla del río Danubio donde jugamos con ellos y organizamos una fiesta de la espuma con la ayuda de los bomberos locales. Al final, pudimos invitar a los padres a la iglesia.

El trabajo del grupo de jóvenes

Como dije, también estoy agradecido por nuestro grupo de jóvenes, porque son leales y entusiastas. Como saben, debido a la pandemia, la casa comunitaria de Budapest estuvo cerrada durante un largo período, pero nuestra juventud mantuvo contacto todos los domingos por la mañana en Zoom. Alabado sea el Señor, la casa comunitaria está abierta ahora, pero ellos siguen organizando reuniones de Zoom. También estamos agradecidos, porque tendrán un campamento juvenil del 26 al 29 de agosto. Por favor, oren por este campamento para que nuestro grupo de jóvenes pueda estar de acuerdo y en amor en Cristo (Salmos 133: 1-3).

La Misión Gitana

Alabado sea el Señor, después de un descanso de un año y medio pudimos visitar a nuestros hermanos y hermanas gitanos de Serbia y Croacia. Estaban tan felices por nosotros. Ellos nos extrañaron en el último período difícil.

Gracias por sus oraciones. ¡También estamos orando por ustedes y por el trabajo misionero de EFC!

Con amor,

Tony y Ági Frei

Lee mas…

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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, God gave a lot of blessings to our church. There were many difficulties, restrictions and church closures but our God was always with us as he promised: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). We can be especially thankful for him on three main mission areas: (1) the children’s work, (2) the youth group’s work and, and (3) the gipsy mission.

The Children’s Work

After a long break, we could organize children’s days on three mission places: Ozora, Budapest and Tolna. I think it’s a very great opportunity for this way we can reach the unbeliever parents through their children. The program was similar in every place. We started with singing Christian children’s songs. After, my wife taught the children a story from the Bible (she included the gospel too). Then we prayed together with them. Finally, we made some handcrafts which kids enjoyed very much.

In Ozora, I made a deal with the local leader of the community house. She allowed us to organize occasions again, as the situation of the virus is better in our country. On the 14^th of August, after a few church meetings, the first children’s day was there. Ozora is a village with a lot of gipsy families. People are very poor, but they have open heart to the word of God. At the end of the children’s day, we gave them little presents, candies and some donation dresses.

On the 15^th of August, we organized a children’s day in Budapest. As it was just a few hours long, the unbeliever parents stayed there, they got involved in it, and heard the Good News too. I believe that the seeds fell into a good soil. On every fourth Sunday, we decided to organize a children’s day in Budapest, since this way new unbeliever parents come to the church and hear the gospel.

Thirdly, on the 20^th of August, we had an all-day long children’s day in Tolna. The program was similar as in Ozora. There were about 30-35 children. After the lunch, we took the children to the bank of the River Danube where we played with them and organized a foam party with the help of the local fire department. At the end, we could invite the parents to the church.

The Youth Group’s Work

As I said, I’m thankful for our youth group, too, for they are loyal and enthusiastic. As you know,  because of the pandemic the community house of Budapest was closed for a long period but our youth kept contact on every Sunday morning on Zoom. Praise the Lord, the community house is open now, but they keep on organizing Zoom meetings. We’re also thankful, because they’ll have a youth camp from the 26^th to the 29^th of August. Please, pray for this camp that our youth group can be in agreement and in love in Christ (Psalms 133:1-3).

The Gipsy Mission

Praise the Lord, after a break of one and a half years we could visit our gipsy brothers and sisters from Serbia and Croatia. They were so happy for us, they missed us in the last hard period.

Thank you for your prayers. We are also praying for you and EFC mission work!

With love,

Tony and Ági Frei

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Mi nombre es Kinga Horváth. Soy de Hungría y miembro de la Iglesia Evangélica Amigos de Hungría desde que nací. Pastor Tony, su esposa Agi y mi mamá plantaron esta iglesia hace 22 años en mi ciudad natal, Tolna. Estoy muy agradecida con Dios porque pertenezco a esta comunidad en la cual tengo muchos hermanos y hermanas en Él, todos ellos muy amables.

Ahora, tengo 22 años de edad y soy una maestra de un jardín infantil. Obtuve mi título hace dos semanas y mi boda será pronto, el 18 de julio. Por lo tanto,

desafortunadamente, no puedo participar en la reunión de oración en línea el dia 25 de julio, porque estaré de luna de miel con mi futuro esposo. ¡Lo siento mucho! ¡Pero, oraré por ustedes y por sus ministerios con todo mi corazón!

Sé que nuestro Dios estará con ustedes y tendrán un evento muy bendecido, porque:

“Además les digo que, si dos de ustedes en la tierra se ponen de acuerdo sobre cualquier cosa que pidan, les será concedida por mi Padre que está en el cielo. Porque donde dos o tres se reúnen, allí estoy yo en medio de ellos.” Mateo 18:19-20

Nuevamente, siento mucho no poder participar, pero responderé a lo siguiente:

En un día ordinario, ¿quién llama a tu puerta?

Por ahora vivo con mi núcleo familiar. Basicamente, en un día normal, el cartero o el mensajero llaman a nuestra puerta, pero hay veces que alguien de nuestro barrio o uno de mis amigos también llama a nuestra puerta.

¿Como respondes?

Les abro la puerta y los saludo con una sonrisa. Si la persona que tocó la puerta es cercana a mí y la conozco bien, le doy un abrazo o un apretón de manos.

¿Cómo les muestras a Jesús?

Les muestro a Jesús con mis hechos: con palabras amables, con una sonrisa encantadora y con amor. Creo que nosotros, como cristianos, somos luces y por eso debemos brillar en este mundo oscuro con nuestros actos. Jesús, quien vive en nosotros, puede ayudar con eso.

¿Cómo te ministra el proveer en cada necesidad?

Creo que es importante ver y atender a las necesidades de los miembros de otros ministerios también.

Incluso si la gente no llama físicamente a tu puerta, ¿cómo haces que la hospitalidad sea una parte de tu vida diaria y tu ministerio?

Solo comparto lo que veo en nuestra misión/ministerio. La hospitalidad es muy importante para nosotros. En todo lo que hacemos siempre recordamos Hebreos 13: 2: “No se olviden de practicar la hospitalidad, pues gracias a ella algunos, sin saberlo, hospedaron ángeles.”

En el ministerio, cuando tenemos a creyentes y no creyentes del extranjero de visita, ellos siempre dicen que les gusta nuestra iglesia, nuestra ciudad y nuestro país porque la gente es hospitalaria aquí. Por ejemplo, les presentamos comida especial húngara, platicamos mucho con ellos, los escuchamos y organizamos programas para ellos. ¡Los rodeamos de amor y cuidados! Pero, no es para vanagloria, sino que ¡es para la gloria del Señor!

En la vida cotidiana, podemos mostrar nuestra hospitalidad a los miembros de nuestra familia, a los miembros de la iglesia y a nuestros amigos. Cuando ellos están en nuestra casa es importante hacerles sentir que Jesús es el Señor de nuestra casa. Él la puede llenar de paz y el amor. Si podemos mostrar el amor de Dios en la hospitalidad, la gente podrá ver que somos especiales.

Con amor,

Kinga

Lee mas…

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My name is Kinga Horváth. I’m from Hungary and a member of Evangelical Friends Church Hungary since I was born. Pastor Tony, his wife Agi, and my mom planted this church 22 years ago in my hometown Tolna. I’m very thankful to God because I belong to this community and that I have lots of kind brothers and sisters in Him. ­­

Now, I’m a 22-year-old kindergarten teacher. I got my degree two weeks ago and my wedding will be soon on the 18 of July. So, unfortunately, I can’t participate on the online prayer meeting on the 25 of July, because I will be on honeymoon with my future husband. I’m very sorry! But, I will pray for you and for your ministries with my full heart!

I know that our God will be with you and you will have a very blessed event, because:

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20

Sorry again, that I can’t participate, but I will respond to the following:

On an ordinary day, who knocks on your door? 

Now, I live with my nuclear family. Physically, on an ordinary day, the postman, or the courier knocks on our door, but sometimes somebody of our neighborhood, or one of my friends.

How do you respond?

I open the door for them, and I greet them with a smile. If the person who knocks is close to me and I know him/her well, I give a hug or a handshake.

How do you show Jesus to them?

I show Jesus to them with my manifestations: with my kind words, with my lovely smile, and with my love. I think we, as Christians, are lights so we must shine in this dark world with our acts. Jesus, who lives in us, can help with that.

How does meeting each need minister to you?

I think it’s important to see the members of the other ministries.

Even if people don’t physically knock on your door, how is hospitality a part of your everyday life and ministry?

I just share what I see in our mission/ministry. Hospitality is very important for us. We remember Hebrews 13:2: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

In the ministry, when we have believers and unbelievers as guests from abroad, they always say that they like our church, our town, and our country because people are hospitable here. For example, we introduce special Hungarian food, we talk with them a lot, we listen to them, and we organize programs for them. We surround them with love and care! But, it isn’t our glory – it is the glory of the Lord!

In everyday life, we can show our hospitality to our family members, to the church members, and to our friends. When they are in our home it is important to make them feel that Jesus is the Lord of our house. He can make peace and love. If we can forward God’s love in the hospitality, people can see that we are special.

With love,

Kinga

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