September 29th, 2014, it was about 1 AM on my 15th birthday. I stood motionless, staring out the window toward the darkness of an early autumn morning, just waiting for reality to hit me. I tried to grasp what felt like a living nightmare. In that moment, the household felt incredibly still, as if time had moved to slow motion. I heard my twin brother in his room singing a worship song. Somehow, the peace of God was evident throughout the house. Only minutes prior, my Dad had come to tell us that Mom had just lost her battle with cancer.

Hi, my name is Mykaela Hoppman, and I am the 6th out of 8 kids in my family. I am grateful I was able to be homeschooled and grow up in a Christian home! We had a mini-farm in our backyard, and life was simple. This all changed when we found out early in 2014 that my Mom had stage 4 cancer.

Leading up to the day we lost her, I watched what the evil disease was doing to her. And yet, I never believed she would not wake up again. I refused to let my mind go there because I believed with all my heart that God would miraculously heal her. I saw her faith firsthand: her praise and worship of God through her storm, completely trusting in His plan. She had a beautiful voice and was a prayer warrior! Mom had experienced several miracles in her life, so I was certain this would be another one. Then September 29th came, and Mom was gone. I was confused. I didn’t understand. I had two choices. I could be angry at God or run to Him. The former was not an option for me.

I’ve found that in the most difficult and lonely moments, God most reveals the vastness of His tender love. Whether I realized it then or not, God did answer all our prayers for healing...just not in the way I had in mind.

Days after Mom was first diagnosed, my little sister and I stood on the stage of Legacy church and performed at CAPE showcase for the first time. This, of course, would be her first time hearing us sing there; little did we know this would also be her last.
My sister, brother, and I now have the honor of serving on the Legacy worship team at the same church, on the same stage, years later.

My Dad is now remarried to a mother of 8 who also lost her husband to cancer around the same time. So, yes, there are now 16 kids in all!

Walking through this journey has not been easy, but God’s hand is undoubtedly evident throughout every moment. God has brought my family through such drastic changes. Our lives have been miraculously pieced together to proclaim a God-orchestrated story!

-Mykaela H.