Posted on January 5, 2011 - by Megan
We crossed the finish line: $20,000 raised!
Praise God, last night we reached our adoption fundraising goal. When I saw the email come in from First Giving, telling me someone had made a contribution for the remaining amount we needed, I almost didn’t believe my eyes. We made it—or, more accurately, God made it. In just about seven weeks, we raised $20,000. God is so good.
I recently guest posted here about the benefits of God-sized dreams (and adoption is certainly a God-sized dream), namely that we can invite others into our story and into the larger story that he is writing in and through all of us. That has certainly been true for Joel and me. When we began, we prayed that God would move people to give generously so we could bring our baby home. Astonishingly, nearly 150 people responded, a number that wildly exceeded our expectations.
How did we do it, you might be wondering? Truthfully, what we did should never have been enough. We wrote 120 letters to our family and friends, I did a hike to raise funds, and were blessed to have our efforts joined by my parents, Mike and Gail Hyatt, as they advocated for our adoption through their blogs and other social media. The bottom line is that God has blessed us beyond all we could think , ask or earn. We are absolutely humbled and astounded by His generosity, expressed through so many of you. Simply put:
“God will fund what he favors.”
—Scott Oatsvall, husband of 147 Million Orphans co-founder Gwen Oatsvall
As I’ve said from the beginning, Joel and I pray that God would use our story—the story of an ordinary family and a very big God—to inspire others to consider adoption, and believe that God will make it possible financially. We continue to pray that would be the case.
Thank you, to each and every one of you, for your prayers and financial contributions. Every one was critically important, whether you gave $10 or $2,000 or prayed once or a hundred times. We are so grateful for your willingness to take this leap of faith with us. You are part of our story.
Adoption Update
We are currently waiting for our referral (to be matched with our baby). We expect that phone call to come soon, perhaps even within the next month or two. There are several children who could possibly be match with us, we’re just waiting on orphan investigations and medical tests to be completed.
Once we have our referral, all of our paperwork, called our dossier, will be sent to Uganda and we will wait for a court date. That could take anywhere from 1-3 months. Then—we travel to get our baby! We think that might happen sometime this spring or early summer, though there are a thousand variables that could make the wait longer or shorter.
Joel and I would be deeply grateful for your continued prayers for our referral and for all the details surrounding our court date and travel—there are so many. Again, thank you for your overwhelming support and encouragement. We are blessed beyond words.
16 Comments
We'd love to hear yours!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
-
-
10. Jan, 2011
[...] the heels of Christmas and New Year’s, we crossed the long-awaiting adoption fundraising finish line. It was a huge high after a season of highs. And then—it got really quiet. Quiet because the [...]
-
-
09. Mar, 2011
[...] like our experience watching God provide for the financial needs of our adoption through our fundraising efforts, he has shown himself to be the Great Provider once [...]
Leave a Reply
Here's your chance to speak.
Connect with Me!
About Me
My name is Megan Hyatt Miller. I'm a little Emmilou Harris, a little Bonnie Rait, and a dash of Paula Dean—mostly because I identify with her unbridled use of butter and ample hips. I am passionate about living and telling a good story. I'm a wife, a stepmom and and an adoptive mom. I am passionate about adoption, racial reconciliation, and creating beauty and a sense belonging for those I love. To learn more, click here. Thanks for stopping by.
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Dennis said:
Praise God!! Congrats to you and your husband. Thanks for sharing your powerful testimony. I stand with you in prayer during the next steps in the process.
Visit My Website
January 7, 2011
Permalink
Megan said:
Dennis, Joel and I are so grateful for your prayers. It is amazing to experience God’s abundant provision in this as well. Blessings.
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Wes McAdams – Radically Christian said:
Congratulations! That is so wonderful! All the best to you and your family as you continue in this journey!
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Holly said:
Amazing! Glory be to God for all things! It is a joy to watch this story unfold!
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Chasity said:
AMAZING! God rocks! So happy for you and your family and the precious one you’ll be bring home.
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Joy Feldner said:
BEST news! So excited for you! I’m praying that many Christ-loving people will see that GOD does extraordinary things through ordinary people, and that finances should never be a reason NOT to adopt a child that needs a forever family.
Visit My Website
January 7, 2011
Permalink
Megan said:
Joy, that is our prayer as well. To God be the glory!
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Megan Clarke said:
Fantastic news!! The adoption journey is so refining. There are so many ups and downs but He is surely in it. I love when the HIGHS like this one come…you must cling to them when the lows come. CONGRATS~
Visit My Website
January 5, 2011
Permalink
Amanda said:
Hooray! We are so glad for this good news and thankful for your family. Can’t wait to meet that baby…
Visit My Website
January 7, 2011
Permalink
Megan said:
Amanda, thanks for sharing in our joy! Can’t wait to meet YOUR baby either. So excited!
Visit My Website
January 6, 2011
Permalink
jackeychapman said:
so happy to be a part of such a GOD story..praying for the rest of the journey
Visit My Website
January 7, 2011
Permalink
Megan said:
Jackey, thank you so much for your prayers!! We need those so much for the next phase of our journey.
Visit My Website
January 6, 2011
Permalink
Cassie Hansen said:
WOOHOO!!! This is so awesome!
Visit My Website
January 7, 2011
Permalink
Megan said:
Thanks, Cassie! Thanks for all of your encouragement along the way. We MUST catch up soon.