The youngest member of the Tsikirai (pronounced see-key-rye) family may not remember the following incident when he gets older. But his family will never let him forget how God performed a miracle for them.
On Friday, May 30, two of the Tsikirai girls had fevers. When Timothy, their 2-year-old brother, came down with a low-grade fever, Erica, his mother, gave him medicine, bathed him and put him to bed. While the rest of the family gathered for worship to welcome the Sabbath, Erica suddenly felt impressed to leave and check on her son.
As she opened the bedroom door, Erica noticed Timothy was beginning to vomit. She quickly went to help him and called her husband Jaison. “This was a divine appointment!” she exclaimed. “I have been brought here by an angel.” While she was cleaning him up, Erica discovered Timothy’s temperature had risen slightly, so as a precaution she cooled him down with wet towels and gave him more medicine.
Sometime later, even though the boy was relaxed and cool in his mother’s lap, he suddenly passed out. He stopped breathing and his color changed. Erica shook him and called out his name, but he was unresponsive. She yelled for help.
She made sure his airways were clear, laid him on the floor and began CPR. Their 12-year-old daughter called 911 and gave the phone to her father. Erica began loudly reciting Psalms 23, over and over again, praying in-between “God, You are able! Dear Jesus, You can! Please come quickly and abide!” Then she would begin Psalms 23 over again.
When Jaison came in and saw Timothy, he thought he had lost his son. “I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what this meant. I couldn't imagine life without my son. I pleaded for God's mercy. But each minute that passed seemed to confirm the reality that Timothy was not alive.” Jaison stayed on the phone with the emergency services until they arrived about six minutes later.
Meanwhile, Timothy’s sisters gathered to pray God would heal their brother. The youngest sister, Tapo, was already in bed. “We prayed,” the girls say. “We were all talking to God at the same time." When the emergency crews arrived, the sisters continued to pray. “Suddenly, we all stopped crying. We felt the peace and presence of God and knew our brother was going to be okay."
About the time they heard sirens whistling toward their home, Timothy produced a sound—yes, a sound of life! For five minutes, he had not been breathing. When emergency crews arrived, he opened his eyes for the first time. He looked drowsy, as if waking up from a deep sleep. But he was alive! “I cannot describe the joy that filled my soul when I saw my son pass from death unto life. God is good!” Jaison remarks. Emergency teams felt Timothy’s condition was life-threatening and rushed him to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore.
Later, the family heard from two friends, one in Omaha, Neb., and one in Niles, Mich., who were awakened in the night and felt impressed to pray.
Though extensive tests were performed, they did not reveal the cause of the emergency. Little Timothy’s sisters and parents are just happy Jesus gave him back to them.
Jaison and Erica Tsikirai have five children: Tino, 12; Tendo, 10; Tata, 6; Tapo, 4; and Timothy, 2. (Gary McLain)
While the rest of the family gathered for worship to welcome the Sabbath, Erica suddenly felt impressed to leave and check on Tsikirai, her son. (Gary McLain)
While the rest of the family gathered for worship to welcome the Sabbath, Erica suddenly felt impressed to leave and check on Tsikirai, her son. "This was a divine appointment!" she says. (Gary McLain)
