This story is written by Laura Hoffman who along with her husband, Tymm, will be leading our team and others on the Visiting Orphans trip this summer to serve orphans in Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Laura writes their story:
Tymm and I married in November 2002 and spent the next three
years enjoying married life. In early 2005, we decided to start trying to have
a baby. The months passed, and we really did not think much of it as nothing
happened. But as more and more time passed on, we started to wonder if
something was wrong.
So after a year of trying, we went for some routine
fertility tests. After several rounds of tests, the doctors found that I had
only one kidney and half of my uterus. They did tell me that I was able to get
pregnant, but would not carry to full term. During this process of testing and
moving forward on having a biological child, God was preparing our hearts for
adoption. We had the opportunity to
welcome some good friends home from China with their new son. Seeing them bring
that sweet boy home was a life changing experience. I felt the Lord tugging at
my heart as we huddled around this family and rejoiced with them.
That night, my Aunt Connie said something to me that would
change the course of our lives forever, “Laura, I can see you and Tymm
adopting.” What? She could? Sure it had crossed my mind, but it seemed so hard
and the little bit I had read about it had me scared to the core. I mean, the
paperwork alone was enough to make you run the other way and never look back!
But I listened to her and the Holy Spirit used her to speak truth into our
lives that night.
So off I went to research Chinese adoption. Tymm and I
talked, prayed and decided to move forward on adoption while still trying to
have a biological child. We said we would move forward “until the Lord stops us.” So the adoption process began and we were
thrilled at the thought of two little ones joining our family!
A couple of months later, Tymm went on a mission trip to
South Africa right after our first IUI procedure. While gone, his heart was
broken for the fatherless and his eyes opened to the orphan crisis our world
faces. While he was on his trip, I was waiting to find out if I was pregnant or
not. This was our one shot; everything had been perfect! From follicles to
sperm count, in our minds this was IT!
But one morning, while Tymm was thousands of miles away, my
period started and my dreams were shattered. I remember sitting at my kitchen
table, lights dim, head down and I was angry at the Lord for having this IUI
fail. I asked Him specifically why it did not work when everything was “perfect.”
I did not hear Him audibly, but felt Him say to me, “So you can stop. This is
over.”
In that moment, our journey to a biological child ended and
God was starting us on a journey that would lead us into our deepest valleys
and to our highest mountaintops. All the while He never let us go.
When Tymm returned from South Africa, we grieved over the
loss of a biological child but rested in the comfort of knowing the Lord was
writing our story and paving the way to our child. We got more and more excited
about our Chinese daughter coming home.
Then another roadblock came - Chinese adoptions came to a
slow crawl. By summer 2007, things were barely moving forward in China and we
were looking at least a five year wait. Our friends, the ones we saw come home
from China in 2006, called and said, “Have you considered Ethiopia?”
Ethiopia? Africa? I had to get out our map to even see where
it was! Once again, I was moved into research mode. I read blogs, I researched
agencies, I watched videos. I was hooked. I looked at those beautiful Ethiopian
children and could not say no. Tymm could not either. So again, we said, “Lord,
we will move forward until you tell us to stop.”
We found an agency, redid paperwork and submitted it to the
Ethiopian government. We were once again
waiting to be matched with a baby!
Brighton Asher came into our lives on Monday November 26,
2007 at 11:31 AM. He came in through an email inbox. It was our referral email
- in the adoption world a
"referral" is when you first receive information on your son or
daughter.
We were on a mountaintop!
It was the week of Thanksgiving and we had plenty to be thankful for. We spent the next few weeks of the holiday season celebrating with family, getting our house ready and just generally being excited. Clothes were bought. Toys were organized. Gifts were received. And a lot of prayers were prayed.
Shortly after the New Year, we received the news from our agency that Brighton had been very sick and had been rushed to the hospital. He was fighting pneumonia and diarrhea and many other symptoms. But he was doing better and had been released from the hospital and was back at the orphanage. Everyone we knew was praying. It was all we could do.
A few days later - on January 9th, 2008 - around 1:15 PM, Tymm got the call that changed everything for us. Brighton had gone home to be with his heavenly father. Tymm had to call me at work and tell me that our son had passed away. We were in our darkest deepest valley yet.
We were on a mountaintop!
It was the week of Thanksgiving and we had plenty to be thankful for. We spent the next few weeks of the holiday season celebrating with family, getting our house ready and just generally being excited. Clothes were bought. Toys were organized. Gifts were received. And a lot of prayers were prayed.
Shortly after the New Year, we received the news from our agency that Brighton had been very sick and had been rushed to the hospital. He was fighting pneumonia and diarrhea and many other symptoms. But he was doing better and had been released from the hospital and was back at the orphanage. Everyone we knew was praying. It was all we could do.
A few days later - on January 9th, 2008 - around 1:15 PM, Tymm got the call that changed everything for us. Brighton had gone home to be with his heavenly father. Tymm had to call me at work and tell me that our son had passed away. We were in our darkest deepest valley yet.
In that valley, we clung to each other, we clung to the Lord, we cried out in pain, anger, hurt – but in that dark place we made a conscious decision to not stay in the valley. We decided to start the climb back up the mountain. We knew Brighton’s death had deep meaning and purpose. We pressed into the Lord and came to the realization that God had just permanently broken our hearts for what breaks His.
We went straight to our
agency’s office the next day and said we wanted to move forward with another
adoption. There were no baby boys, but one baby girl in the orphanage. Three
days later we received her pictures and we were in love. Another mountaintop!
While dealing with the grief over the loss of our son, we were celebrating this precious baby girl waiting for us in Ethiopia. Six months later Meron Asher Hoffman was placed in our arms at last and we became a forever family.
In that moment, as we held
our daughter, and just one hour before we stood before our son’s grave in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, we felt an overwhelming sense of being obedient. From
infertility, to China, to Brighton to Meron…and to our children to come – we will be
obedient to the Lord.
This has been just part of the Hoffman Family story. You read about Brighton and you read about Meron. Coming soon you will hear the story of Mebrate, our newest Ethiopian princess who has joined our family.
This has been just part of the Hoffman Family story. You read about Brighton and you read about Meron. Coming soon you will hear the story of Mebrate, our newest Ethiopian princess who has joined our family.
