Katie Ganshert, Author at Katie Ganshert

Summer Break

Posted on July 8, 2013August 3, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

I don’t know about you, but I think summers are best spent outdoors in bare feet. Running through sprinklers. Going to the park. Reading in the shade while my son digs for treasure. Catching lightning bugs when its dark.

So this is what I shall do.

And when I’m not enjoying the aforementioned activities above, I’ll be plugging away on various writing projects.

What does this mean?

It means I’m taking an extended blogging break for the remainder of the summer. A sabatical, if you will. As someone who hasn’t taken a blogging break this long since I started back in 2009, me thinks this is long overdue. Sometimes, you just need to recharge, you know? It’s good for the soul. In fact, I might just make this a yearly tradition. No blogging in the summer. We’ll see how it goes!

Praying the remainder of your summer days are filled with joy and blessings and drippy ice cream cones!

If you want to say hi, I’ll still be around my author Facebook page and Twitter. Would love to connect with you there.

Let’s Talk: What’s your favorite summer time activity?

Friday Favorite: Congo Cooking

Posted on July 5, 2013July 4, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

My first attempt to cook authentic Congolese cuisine this week was a smashing success. And so incredibly fun!

I couldn’t stop smiling all night.

There was something very special about learning to cook food from my daughter’s country.

Especially the fufu, which is something she eats every single day.

Tangine Chicken with fufu and fried plantains:

Next week, I’m going to try Muamba Nsusu with yep, fufu and fried plantains (again).

I want to master the art of those second two so when our little girl is home, I can make her some familiar foods.

Let’s Talk: What’s the most foreign-type meal you’ve ever tackled in the kitchen?

There’s a Girl

Posted on July 1, 2013September 11, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

We first saw her face in February.

Three pictures in our inbox.

We learned her story a couple weeks later.

And since then….

We’ve said a lot of prayers.

We’ve done some investigating.

We’ve received more pictures.

I’ve written her love letters.

We’ve sent care packages.

Thanks to so many of YOU, we made her a puzzle….500 willing hearts came together and sponsored a piece to help bring this precious one home.

I bought her a pair of pink Crocs that sit on my nightstand.

We glued some pieces on our Adoption Map. (Brogan asks, almost every day, if we’re getting closer to the heart.)

And then….

I flew to the Congo.

I held her in my arms.

I kissed her sweet cheeks.

I smelled her sweet skin.

I wiggled her sweet toes.

I whispered her name into her ear.

I didn’t want to let go.

But I flew back to America and here we’ve been, waiting and waiting and waiting…

Dying to go back.

After losing two previous referrals (a referral is adoption speak for being matched with a child), a little boy in October and another little girl in January, we weren’t going to share the news about our Congolese cutie until we passed court.

But court’s been taking forever.

We’ve been there now for 13 weeks.

We feel stuck.

We’re weary.

We’re distracted.

And we could use prayer.

So please pray.

Pray for her well-being.

Pray for her precious little heart and the difficult journey she has ahead of her. Because what she’s already gone through and will go through makes my “suffering” absolutely pale in comparison.

Pray against corruption.

Pray for all the hurdles we still have ahead of us.

Pray that God would be glorified and we would be sanctified, come what may.

Pray that we’d be a family soon. Because we sure don’t feel whole with her over there and us over here.

My friend, Kelli Standish, says it best:

Waiting is one of the most excruciating acts of worship.

And that’s exactly what it is. Or at least what it becomes. Because when you’re here, in this place of helpless waiting, with no power to move it along, what else is there to do but open your hands and trust?

Let’s Talk: What are you waiting for?

Update on July 27th, 2013 – PRAISE JESUS! We are a family of four! We passed court! She is officially our daughter. Hoping and praying the rest of this journey goes quickly so we can bring her home! Thank you for your prayers!