Athentikos partnered with Semillas de Cambio to host a Drawing Workshop for nine teenagers ages 15–17 in Guazacapán, Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Led by Liz Loarca and Merli Garcia, alongside assistant Kristin Beyer, the two-day workshop combined drawing techniques, storytelling, and spiritual reflection through the themes: I Am Art, I Am Connected, I Am Broken, and I Am Restored.
Participants learned drawing and coloring techniques with pastels and colored pencils while creating their own handmade coloring books using a simple binding process. But beyond learning artistic skills, the workshop became a safe place for vulnerability, healing, and connection.
Each teen experienced the process differently. Some discovered a love for drawing and creativity they had never explored before, while others stepped outside their comfort zones to create artwork that reflected their personal stories. During the “I Am Broken” portion of the workshop, participants were asked to cut apart drawings they had worked hard to create. For several students, this moment was deeply emotional. Some admitted they felt like crying, while others quietly processed the experience.
As participants wrote painful words or phrases they had heard spoken over them, they began realizing how many shared similar wounds and insecurities. What could have remained an isolated experience instead became a moment of empathy and solidarity within the group.
The restoration day brought a visible shift in the atmosphere. Color, laughter, and excitement filled the room as students exchanged and colored pieces of one another’s artwork, slowly helping fragmented drawings come back together. Though the scattered pieces initially seemed disconnected, they eventually transformed into beautiful collaborative works of art—mirroring the restoration God brings to broken lives.
One of the most meaningful stories from the workshop came from a participant identified as “L.” Initially resistant and uncomfortable with interaction, she gradually opened up to the team through conversations about music, nature, drawing, and language learning. By the end of camp, she courageously shared her reflections during the art show and tearfully told her leaders, “I’m going to miss you.”
Moments like these reminded the team that God was at work in ways no one could have planned. Through art, conversation, and shared experiences, students encountered deeper truths about identity, healing, and belonging.
The final art show became a celebration not only of creativity, but of restoration. Participants shared openly about their identity in Christ and how God can bring beauty from pain, wounds, and brokenness. What began as a drawing workshop became an invitation for teenagers to see themselves—and each other—through the lens of grace.
