PE baby raised from the dead

Baby Joash in hospital after he was raised from the dead following prayer. The delight on his mother, Sipho's face says it all.

[notice]Recently a seriously ill PE baby went into cardiac arrest and died at hospital. But two hours later, after a prayer of faith, baby Joash came back to life. David Hobson, who was on the scene shortly after the baby recovered, spoke to the infant’s parents and  one of the attending doctors. This is his testimony.[/notice]

On the 3rd of November little Joash was raised from the dead, and what a privilege it is, after gathering all the information and investigating the evidence, to share with you this amazing testimony of God’s goodness in the lives of my friends Sipho and Humfrie Mayanja.

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I think of this testimony and remember the scripture in Revelation, “they overcame by the blood of the lamb, and the word of their testimony.” May you overcome and be encouraged in your faith, hearing of how God raised little Joash from the dead. Our God is living and active, and He is King!

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These incredible events all took place on Thursday the 3rd of November at Dora Ngiza Hospital. I , along with my friends Stephen and Sara Grewar, went to visit the hospital shortly afterwards, and we were able to record many of the details by speaking to Humfrie and Sipho, and also speaking to Dr Michelle Merrington, who was present and involved throughout the events.

That Thursday afternoon Sipho noticed that little Joash was really sick, with diarrhoea and other symptoms. So at about 4pm she and Humfrie took Joash to Dora Ngiza. Humfrie in sharing with me said he could tell Joash was not in a good way; his face was grey and it was clear this was not just a simple cold or flu. Joash was a premature baby, and so was also particularly vulnerable to sickness.

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Once at Dora Nginza Hospital Joash’s health rapidly deteriorated, his condition being described as “critical” by Dr Michelle Merrington, one of the seven to eight doctors who were trying to save Joash. The doctors soon found a severe lung infection and after failed attempts to get Joash to respond, asked Sipho and Humfrie to leave the room due to the intensity of their efforts to keep Joash alive.

Before long, according to Dr Merrington, “Joash went into cardiac arrest, and stopped breathing.” In layman’s terms, Joash’s heart stopped beating, and he stopped breathing altogether. At this point, after many efforts to get Joash to respond to treatment, one of the doctors went outside to tell Humfrie and Sipho that there was nothing more they could do for Joash and that he was not responding to treatment. At this point blood samples were taken from Joash, and after testing, according to Dr Merrington, the blood tested showed to be that of a dead person.

According to Dr Merrington Joash died; his heart stopped, he stopped breathing and the acid levels in his blood clearly showed that he had died.

When the doctor told the baby’s parents the bad news that there was nothing they could do for Joash, Humfrie tells me he felt “a heavy spirit of death” descend upon him. Sipho also started feeling very sick. All but one of the doctors gave up on Joash, seeing that he was dead. The remaining doctor did not have much hope but stayed longer continuing to pump the oxygen and making other efforts to try and resuscitate Joash.

During this time Humfrie sent an sms to his good friend and elder, Vincent Rafferty of Oxygen Life Church. He said: “Joash needs all the prayer he can get right now.” Humfrie and Sipho tell me that they waited outside for approximately two hours after the doctors told them there was nothing more they could do — and so Joash had been dead for quite some time.

Vincent upon receiving the sms from Humfrie promptly phoned him, and on hearing the situation began to pray with Humfrie over the phone. He rebuked the spirit of death and prayed for Joash to be raised to life and that he would recover.

Humfrie tells me that after the prayer he immediately felt the heavy spirit that he had felt upon him, lift and leave. Soon afterwards the doctor who had persevered with the baby came back to them with joy saying that Joash had woken up and was breathing again.

Following antiobotic treatment and time in an incubator, Joash recovered rapidly. He is now in very good health and gaining weight and strength with every day. Thank you Jesus!!!

The morning after Joash’s miraculous recovery, one of the doctors asked Humfrie and Sipho if their baby had a name. When they told him their baby’s name was Joash, the doctor promptly “corrected” them saying: “No, you should call him Lazarus, because he was dead, and now he is alive.”

According to Dr. Merrington, the evidence clearly showed that Joash died, his heart stopped beating, he stopped breathing, and his blood was that of a corpse. He is clearly very much alive today thanks be to the incredible power and goodness of God. Our God is an awesome God “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask, think or imagine, according to the power at work in us.” Be encouraged, God is good, He is faithful, and He is willing and more than able.

15 Comments

  1. this brought tears to my eyes! How gracious is the One that we call Father! Thank you Jesus for the gift of LIFE!

  2. Clive van der Riet

    Thank you also to the doctor who persevered with keeping the child oxygenated. It seems God worked through him. What is this good doctor’s name?

  3. We truly serve an awesome life giving God.

  4. Thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who always causes us to truimph in Christ Jesus. This story is to His glory, I praise Him for this. The dead are still being raised

  5. It is comforting to be reminded that we are still the “body of Christ” here on earth – that we can be used of God in the miraculous. He is praiseworthy!

  6. Oh Lord, this morning I read that He is ‘the LORD who heals you’ Ex.15:26 i.e. Jehovah Rapha, the Hebrew word for doctor!! “I am Yahweh your Physician”

  7. Pingback: Anglican Mainstream South Africa » Blog Archive » Port Elizabeth (South Africa) baby raised from the dead

  8. Hallelujah! Our God reigns! What a powerful testimony to everyone involved! Wow! I am absolutely blown away by God’s goodness! All praise & glory be to Him! Amen! I look forward to meeting this family sometime!

  9. Pastor Joan Keeling

    All praise to our God! What a truly awesome report. How wonderful for Sipho and Humfrie to have their baby back again. Jesus, we honour You!

  10. What a wonderful God we serve!!! Let’s worship the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

  11. Caleb Atoyebi (CApRO MISSIONS SA -PE Office)

    The Lord will do Greater things in PE and for PE. Amen

  12. What a mighty God we serve !! Give him all the Glory !!! Thank you Lord Jesus !!!

  13. Assie Van der Westhuizen

    Blessed be the Name of the Lord; in 1977 my daughter, born with an orthopaedic disability, was healed miraculously when someone laid hands on her and prayed for her to the Father in the Name of Jesus. It is good to see there are still those who are willing to call on Him to manifest His awesome power and majesty!

  14. Lord you are good and your mercies endure forever. To you alone do we give praise and glory. Only you and you alone can perfom such miracle. Infinite praise to you our Lord and King.Hallelujah…

  15. Praise God! Father, You are forever faithful and true to Your Word and promises. We love, honor, worship and adore You. All the glory belongs to You!!


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