In January 2026, my wife Cicilia's older brother became ill in Sri Lanka and passed away. Many of my wife’s Catholic, Hindu, and Muslim relatives and family friends attended her brother’s funeral. We asked my Dad, Stephen Sorrell, to preach at the funeral, and those in attendance were able to hear the gospel in their own language! The Lord used my brother-in-law's death to spread the gospel to around one hundred lost souls! Praise God for the way He can take a sorrowful situation and use it for the furtherance of His kingdom!
About Elliot
Dr. Elliot Sorrell trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at the age of eight during a camp meeting in Lancaster, South Carolina. Shortly thereafter, he moved with his family to Sri Lanka, where he grew up serving the Lord on the mission field. In 2006, he surrendered to God's call to preach and subsequently earned a degree in Bible through his church.
Following his family's return to the United States, Dr. Sorrell pursued a bachelor's degree in Biochemical Sciences and a Doctor of Medicine degree, seeking to follow God's leading into medical missions. In July 2013, he married his wife, Cicilia, who had also trusted Christ as her Savior during his family's missionary service in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Sorrell is dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, providing medical care across all age groups. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he serves as a professor at four medical schools and as the Associate Program Director of an Internal Medicine residency training program.
Throughout his medical education and career, Dr. Sorrell has remained actively involved in ministry at Shady Grove Baptist Church. His service has included nursing home and bus ministries, children's ministry, music ministry, Sunday School teaching, neighborhood Bible clubs, and local evangelistic outreach. He has also served as a Missions Committee Member, Church Medical Director, and the Youth Pastor.
Dr. Sorrell is currently on deputation with his family, preparing to return to Sri Lanka as a medical missionary. His desire is to use the medical training and opportunities God has entrusted to him to minister to physical needs while sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Newsletter Excerpts
Letter 1 of 5
My wife has an aunt in Sri Lanka named Jasintha. She is 84 years old and lives in a village near the town of Trincomalee. She is a very kind, humble woman who has been Hindu her entire life. She heard the gospel multiple times during my Dad’s ministry when I was a child in Sri Lanka. When my wife and our family visited Sri Lanka most recently we made sure that she heard the gospel again. This situation and the deaths I see every week at the hospital remind me that life is a vapor that can pass quickly and unexpectedly. We must continue to pray that God will send laborers to his harvest, and that we as Christians won’t neglect the harvest around us.
I have been able to witness to a Hindu physician who told me he feels like God is drawing him. He came to me as I sat in my office and just started talking. He has not come to the Lord yet, but I made sure he heard the gospel.
There is a Sri Lankan family here that we have been able to meet as well. They are Sinhalese, which is the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka. They have attended a youth event at our house with their children during which I was able to present to them the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They have since had us over to their house several times. We were able to visit with them yet again since our last prayer letter. They are deeply rooted in Buddhism.
My father-in-law is an award-winning professional composer of Tamil Christian music. We purchased equipment and provided the space for him to record Bible verses in Tamil and pair it with scripture-based songs he has composed and recorded. He then sends this to hundreds of people around the globe. Many lost souls of multiple religions are being exposed to the Word of God daily through this ministry! I have been able to participate in this ministry by singing these Tamil scriptures for recording. This has been a great blessing!
From the Field
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