My fourteen year old daughter, Isabella and I visited Guatemala with Orphan Outreach a couple weeks ago. We visited for a very special purpose. Our mission.. to redo and design rooms in an orphanage for wonderful girls who have been abused and removed from their homes. An extraordinary experience that won’t soon be forgotten by anyone on the trip, I have to say I’m not sure who got more out of the trip. While I know the girls were thrilled by the looks on their faces, I’m not sure I have ever been affected by something as much as I was by this amazing adventure, except for maybe the birth of my own children.
See the video of the transformation here.
AND! … we are off to start the day with bags of textiles in hand.
BEFORE
A beautifully run orphange by an amzing lady named Lilly, the orphanage sits on a gorgeous hill with sweeping views. This is where we spent the day making 15 beds, getting ready for the big reveal to surprise the girls. The girls are well-loved at this orphanage. Lilly is an amazing stand-in mother and leader for them. I was humbled when I first met her by how much she cares, all that she does, and her drive to help take care of (and nurture) these girls. The girls live in well organized rooms, we arrived to find them tidy and clean. They just needed a touch of beauty. I thought to myself, “I can’t think of anyone who deserves a beautiful room than these sweet girls.”
Making something beautiful to make these girls rooms soft, cozy, and beautiful was one of the most empowering and extraordinary experiences I have ever had. We honestly couldn’t wait to get started and got busy. We had 15 beds to make in 4 hours!
It was such an honor to provide beautiful textiles from my manufacturing company, Isabella Collection by Kathy Fielder and my label Fielder Home. My staff back at home worked so hard to provide this beautiful product for them to enjoy and cherish. A special thank you to other companies and individuals who contributed to this amazing project. Farmhouse Fresh, Brit Rose, May Designs, Recycle Goddess, Sabira, and KF Design | Life | Style.
A before picture of the girls beds
My Isabella working hard.
So many contributed. Special little things to make the girls feel special.
Making beds is more work than you think!
We went through bags and bags of product…
Attention to detail is key when making a bed look pretty and perfect.
It was all team work to get this done in a short time frame.
One of the BEST parts of my day?…. Getting to do a project like this with my dear daughter, Isabella.
The Reveal
I’ve always said what you surround yourself with is definitely something that defines you. Why great design may seem frivolous to some, knowing you have a beautiful room to wind down and relax in at the end of the day is something that will empower you and give you strength and confidence. Seeing the smiles on their pretty faces when they got to see their new rooms was an extraordinary gift. Telling them how proud we were of all of them and hearing them squeal with delight was a humbling experience. As a mother of two children I cherish with all my heart, I want all children to know they are a gift from God. Bella and I were both so very grateful to get the gift of helping them feel special and loved.
The Girls
What an extraordinary blessing to see their faces and their reactions!
It’s amazing what we take for granted that might be cherished by someone else.
Joy.
One of my best hugs ever.
Her face makes it all worth it.
Dear and special new friends.
The Team
We didn’t have many on this trip. It sure took a whole lot more to get us there. That is certain. When you do something like this project, somehow you are instantly bonded to the people you help, as well as the team you work with. Knowing that Isabella and I have dear friends in these ladies was one of the greatest gifts that this trip gave us.
