THE ELISHA MINISTRY
Mark 13:10; Mark 16:15-18
The Elisha Ministry is called to bring forth the full gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations of the world. The
ministry's primary goal is ministering to the whole man, spirit, soul and body and to equip the saints for the
end time ministries that God is calling each of us to. Kenya is where it first started taking shape as a full
time ministry back in 1999. We began a feeding, bathing and clothing ministry to the street orphans of
Nakuru, Kenya. From there, the ministry has continued to grow in many different and extraordinary ways.
SUPPLYING SPIRITUAL NEEDS TO THE NATIONS
Matthew 28:19-20
The very heart of Elisha Ministry is in making disciples of all nations through the teaching and preaching
of the word of God. Training up those who are willing to come into the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ and what Calvary accomplished. Once a man receives Jesus as his personal savior, he must then
be taught to know and understand his position in Christ, thus maturing his faith, allowing him to walk
victoriously throughout life, spirit, soul and body. The abundant life that is spoken of in John 10:10, and
promised to all those that would believe according to Romans 10:13-15, is then his as he lives in the
fullness of God’s saving grace.
CONNECTING THE SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL TOGETHER IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES
Philippians 4:19; John 3:17
Combining a Christian orphanage with a school for homeless children enables us to touch the whole
child with the love of Jesus Christ. This is what we have helped accomplish when we co-founded Christian
Ministry to the Destitute located in the slums of Nakuru, Kenya.
Financially supporting Christian small business start ups enables local churches to grow. Developing new
companies gives hundreds of jobs to Christians which helps alleviate poverty among the body of Christ.
Providing companies with bible studies enriches the spiritual growth of their employees. Our goal is for
each ministry that is established under Elisha Ministry's covering to have support from a local business run
by their own people. Thus helping them to become self sufficient.
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS OF THE ELISHA MINISTRY
11 Timothy 2:15
Reverend Debra Sonner has been teaching and preaching since she was 15. She was called by the
Lord into the prophetic ministry in 1980, then into the Apostolic ministry in 2001. She was ordained in
East Africa in 1999 after beginning the work of an international evangelist in 1996. She has ministered to all
ages and in many different settings around the world. She has a prophetic word for the training and
equipping of those that are called to minister in the end times. She believes that the five fold ministry is a gift
from God to the body of Christ for the perfecting of the saints according to Ephesians 4:11-12 and the body
of Christ is for the work of the ministry, God’s gift to the world.
Her husband of 32 years Reverend Stephen Sonner is called to the ministry of helps with the giftings of
ministry, exhortation, and ruling according to Rom. 12:6-8. He has in the past taught different age groups in
Sunday School settings and has been on many different church boards. From 1996-2004, he was with
Teen Challenge of the Ozark's Executive Board as President, Vice President and on their Financial
Committee. Stephen and Debra now live in Kitale, Kenya. They have two children, Linsay VanderVeen
(married to Jake VanderVeen since 1998) and their son, Benjamin Sonner (married to Julie Harry since
2007).
Elisha Ministry Africa (EMA), began as a vision in the hearts of Rev. Debra Sonner and Rev. Geoffrey
Kimotho from Bungoma, Kenya, after meeting and working together in 1998 at Bungoma Bible School.
Bungoma Bible School is where Rev. Sonner first started ministering in Africa and Rev. Kimotho had
graduated from in 1995. The two combined efforts and relocated to Nairobi, Kenya along with several
others. They started ministering together throughout Kenya in the early part of 1999.
The team began their ministry trips throughout East Africa and then expanded the ministry into Congo in
2004. In 1999, Elizabeth Nyongesa joined the group in Nairobi and started working with Pastor Leonard
Muyelele, brother to Pastor Gladys Wakesa of Christian Ministry To The Destitute, to raise up Words of
Victory Church. She was an intrinsic part of the ministry until 2001, when she joined Christian Ministry To
The Destitute in 2002 and became one of the school teachers for a year. From there she joined EMA full
time in 2004. Also joining the group in Nairobi in 1999 to work along side Pastor Leonard Muyelele in
Words of Victory Church was his brother Pastor Amos Muyelele. In 2002 Pastor Amos Muyelele relocated to
Nakuru, Kenya, to help Pastor Gladys Wakesa. Then in 2003, he was lead to raise up Love Celebration
Sanctuary in Nakuru,which became EMA's first church in 2005 after the ministries' registration in Kenya was
finally completed. He is also a graduate from Bungoma Bible School.
The team has worked along side of Pastor Laban and Gladys Wakesa with Christian Ministry to the
Destitute from the very beginning of the vision to minister to the street orphans of Nakuru.
