The Jacobs Journal: A Divine Calling for Cailee D

When we first began planning for our summer trip to Rwanda, Mark and I were {hoping} that it would be a rather long visit for our family. And, since it would {hopefully} even be a few weeks away, we planned to take all three girls, as well as my amazing sister, Cailee, to help us take care of them. But, for a few different reasons, we decided to change our original idea, and travel with our Noel team for two weeks instead.

So, as that plan changed, we also decided that Abby Kate could stay home with Grandma and Gammy for her own fun, and that the big girls would not need as much "babysitting" as we first thought.

But, what I think is interesting is that the main reason we first needed Cailee along for the Rwanda ride was to help us with the kids for the multiple weeks we would spend there. And, even as our plans changed, our desire to have Cailee with us didn't.

Basically, God had an entirely different agenda for my baby sister that I believe was there from the very beginning. (Although she STILL did plenty of loving on my kids, and helped with them a TON too!)

We, of course, knew that her heart had been in Africa for a long time, and that she was already searching and praying for a way to go and serve there. But, HIS timing was perfect because He knew the time was NOW and the place was Noel.

What began as a nanny job, ended up being a personal calling from the Lord on Cailee's life. And, I had to devote a whole post to what it was like to watch God's calling form, and then play out while we were in Rwanda.

A week before we left, the elders at our church had an amazing time of prayer over us and our team. There were powerful prayers and incredibly encouraging conversations in that room.

But, one that will always stand out to me was after the prayer time was over, as Cailee and I talked with the women's minister, Janice. She confirmed what we already knew, as she looked right in Cailee's eyes and told her that she sensed strongly that God has REALLY big plans for her in Rwanda. We all talked about how God brought her to this opportunity and how significant we can all tell it will be for her specifically.

It may not sound as powerful as it was. And, I can't explain why it was. It was just something we all sensed was happening.

And, even though I can't share it as well as Cailee can, my sister had also been having some amazing time with the Lord, where scriptures were coming alive for her about being the hands and feet of Jesus to the poor and orphaned.

I will never forget as she sat on my couch and shared what God was doing in her heart: "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor..."

Oh how true this was!

I am SO so SO so glad I got to experience Rwanda with my sister.

Whether she was playing babies, having her hair braided, or taking long walks with some of the kids, she was completely focused on whatever child was holding her hand or sitting in her lap for that moment.

(And, she even danced her way into the heart of some! Look at those moves!!)

She was an amazing part of the team, and blessed so many others in our group.

I especially loved watching these three become the best of friends, inseparable as they loved on these kids!

And, of course, getting to share in these kind of sister moments was the BEST...we found lots of time to love on our little Vestine together. :)

There were also times, though, when we didn't see each other all day, because we had gone our own way loving on the children He had planned for us that day.

But, even then, I loved watching her from afar. She had such an easy way of just BEING with these kids. As my mom said on a text, she just has so much love to give. And, it's true.

Since she was little, she has had such a compassionate spirit, to the point where we would laugh at her feeling sorry for stuffed animals who felt left out on her shelf if she didn't play with them equally. She didn't want anyone to hurt or not feel loved.

And, WOW, how God has placed that in her for a bigger God-glorifying reason!!

I have no doubt that Cailee will live her life loving others in the way I watched her do in Rwanda.

I have no doubt that countless numbers of orphans at Noel love and adore her, but also feel loved and adored BY her, even now after we have left.

I have no doubt that what God intended for this trip to be in her life will continue to be revealed as time passes.

Because it was NOT a nanny trip.

It was a divine calling for THIS time and THIS place and THIS beautiful girl.