The SWITCH

Well, recently it's been very busy at the Milam house. We are actually in the process of switching agencies, which means we have to redo and collect additional documents for our new agency. The only downside is that we were very close to finishing our dossier and then we decided to switch!  We have prayed a lot about this sudden change in direction and we feel that God has graciously provided us with this opportunity. Yes, it's overwhelming! Yes, it's more work! Yes, it's more money! However, we are just following what our Lord has laid out for us and I know that God is in total control! It truly amazes me to see God's work firsthand. He has always provided for and looked after us which is why we felt that this change was His plan all along. Last week, a wonderful couple offered to help us throw a big fundraiser with inflatables, food, and much more. I am so grateful for their kindness and willingness to take on such a huge task. They told me that this was their calling from God to help those who are trying to adopt. Then, I received an email from someone asking me if I would want his boat to sell for our adoption. We know nothing about boats, but we were definitely excited to accept his generous donation. I hardly know this person and he felt he needed to give us his boat to sell while receiving nothing in return. Today, as I was sitting at my desk, one of my coworkers showed me his church bulletin which contained an announcement about our desire to adopt. He asked people if they felt led to donate to our cause then please do so. Every time I witness God at work in mine and other peoples lives it lifts and renews my spirit. GOD IS AMAZING! There are still a few odds and ends left to finish for our dossier and ,of course, it requires an impatient woman like me to wait. However, I know that God's timing is perfect and His plan is without flaw. I just ask everyone to please pray for us and the beautiful little girl God has chosen for us. I pray that the love of Christ shine through us all.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2: 20

My Fundraiser

All the Yummy Food!!

Yummy Treats

The wonderful woman who planned my fundraiser

 

Having a great time

 

My wonderful co-workers

The food was great!!!

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Enjoying his food!

Full of BBQ!

These wonderful woman worked very hard at my fundraiser

I am so thankful for all these amazing people who helped and donated!!! We raised $405 at the BBQ lunch!

Our first fundraiser!

We are still waiting on our home study papers so we can complete the USCIS process. Other than that, we have everything else ready for our dossier! A wonderful woman named Megan is doing a fundraiser at my work this week. Several other ladies are helping as well. They are providing lunch to all my co-workers. I can do a lot of things, but fundraising is not my specialty. It is very hard for me to ask people to donate even though they aren't donating to me. Anyone who donates truly makes a difference, they are saving a little girl's life. I am so appreciative of all these wonderful ladies. They are truly a blessing. Even though Spring has sprung at my work and my students are ready for ((Spring Break)) and so are teachers, I love my job! I respect everyone at my job. I truly could not imagine working anywhere else. I work with amazing people and I get to make a difference in children's lives! The money I earn from the fundraiser will be used for our dossier fees. We need enough money to send off our dossier to Ethiopia! (I am getting really excited!) A dossier consist of a lot of documents such as: our birth certificates, marriage certificate, physicals, reference letters, home study, employment letters, police reports, passports, etc. It will cost us $7,700 to send everything off.

DOSSIER SUBMISSION & WAITING

Courier Service
$150

2nd Installment of Program Fee
$2,000

Post Adoption Report Deposit(fully refundable if all post-adoption reports are returned on time)
$1,000

Dossier Service & Translation
$800

1/2 International Program Fee (1 child) •••
$3,750

Total=$7,700

 Right now, Matt and I have about 6,000 saved. I know that God will provide. He has provided us with the money since the beginning of this process! God is so good. I am so honored to do His will. Sometimes, I get so excited that I get kind of impatient. We recently got an email saying that our wait for a referral has increased. I become so discouraged because I am ready to open my heart to another child now. Then, I realized that God's timing is perfect. I need to trust in Him. I need to realize that this isn't my plan, this is His plan. Recently, Matt and I even discussed Uganda because their process is much quicker and slightly cheaper. If we went with Uganda, we would not work with our agency. We would work with an attorney in Uganda. We contacted several people, but it seemed like every door was shut. I felt frustrated again, because I can be a little impatient at times. Once again I realized that this is all apart of God's plan. He will guide us through this whole process. He has the perfect child already picked out for us. For those who don't know me,  I can be a little eager sometimes. I need to trust in God and appreciate everything God is doing in our lives. Matt and I recently changed our age request to 0-5 years old. With that said, most likely we will get an older child. I am so excited. That means that our little girl could already be out there. I often wonder if she is okay? What is she going through? Is she hungry? Does she feel loved?  So many things go through my mind everyday. All I can do is ask God to protect our little girl. One day she will be in our arms and we will be able to show her our love forever!