….. among Pentecostals it is very common for children to speak in tongues. In fact I soon found an account of just such an event among the heap of letters on my desk. This one was from William C. Pickthorn, Palo Alto, California. He was relating events which he had recorded in his diary on Saturday, July 30, 1932.
This story occurred at a cottage prayer meeting which, according to my diary, was held ‘about two miles from the Noy Mine’ out of Ironwood, Michigan. I was helping a pastor by the name of Block who was trying to establish a church in Ironwood. Rev. Block was pastor of Winegar, Wisconsin. He had witnessed to a great number of people in surrounding towns and then he had called the evangelistic team of which I was a member to try to capitalize this witnessing into an organized body of believers.
Public meetings were held in a tent in Ironwood. Quite a number of responsible people who were well known in the community came to the service. The diary entry of July 30th, records a visit in the home of a family named Erickson. A young lady who had spoken to me the night before was there. Her mother had been healed by the Rev. Block the previous winter through prayer. The whole family had been interested in the Baptism of the Spirit, but were afraid of the experience because they were told ‘tongues’ was of the devil. The mother said she would like to attend one of the cottage meetings, but was afraid to do so.
She finally agreed, and was present. I noted particularly that she was watching a boy of about 12 years of age, who sat on the floor with his hands clasped about his knees. The boy was praying fervently. While I watched, he began to speak in a language which I could not understand. Then he began to sing in a language which I did not understand.
Mrs. Erickson began to cry. I was quite disturbed, and tried to apologize to her. Her reply to me was somewhat as follows: ‘No, this boy has not upset me. That is not why I was crying. I have known this boy all his life. I was with his mother when he was born. He had just sung a song to me in praise of God, a song I never heard before and a song I know he has never heard before, and he spoke it in my language, Swedish, and he does not known my language. When he was praying, he was praying in Swedish’.
From: John L. Sherrill, They speak with other tongues, published by Fleming H. Revell Company, printed in USA, Seventh printing, December 1968, pages 93-94
He who has ears let him hear 