Auguas Esicondidas, Guatemala · July 2026
Opal House Impact Report
Every child carries extraordinary potential. At Opal House School, that potential is nurtured through education, faith, and a community committed to raising the next generation of servant leaders. Since 2019, Athentikos has partnered with Opal House to complement that mission through I AM ART, inviting students to discover creativity as a pathway to identity, courage, and hope.
Overview
What happened
For five days, classrooms became studios, stages, and places of discovery. Through art, music, movement, storytelling, and hands-on workshops, sixty preschool through sixth-grade students explored five life-changing truths: I AM ART, I AM CONNECTED, I AM BROKEN, I AM RESTORED, and I AM LOVED. Each creative experience invited students to see themselves differently—not simply as children making art, but as image-bearers of a creative God, uniquely created with purpose, belonging, and hope.
What We Witnessed
Not just participation. Transformation.
students ages 4-13
volunteers from the US, Scotland and Guatemala
workshops and rotation projects including Mural, Painting, Paper Mache, Drawing, Masks and more
collective voice:
YOU BELONG!
OVERVIEW & IMPACT
Discovering We Belong
There is a longing woven into every human heart: Where do I belong?
Volunteer Evelyn Hernández watched something beautiful unfold. As Marta’s classmates intentionally welcomed a girl who is often overlooked, a simple act of kindness became a powerful reminder that belonging begins when someone chooses to make room for another.
Partner + Sustainability
Opal House
Opal House is a Christ-centered school and community ministry in Agua Escondida, Guatemala, serving children and families from the rural communities surrounding Lake Atitlán. Through quality education, nutritional support, healthcare, and Christian discipleship, Opal House is raising a generation of compassionate, faith-filled leaders equipped to bring hope and lasting change to their communities.
Since 2019, Athentikos has partnered with Opal House through I AM ART, creating immersive experiences where creativity becomes a pathway to faith, identity, and restoration. Through art, music, storytelling, movement, and mentoring relationships, students are invited to discover their God-given creativity, embrace their identity in Christ, and imagine a future filled with purpose and hope.
"Healing doesn't always happen through words—it often happens through making."
- Lindsey Bailey / Athentikos Volunteer
Five Ways the Story Unfolded
Each workshop carried the same journey in a different form.
Core Workshop
Sculpture
Leaders: Lucia, Alicia, Evelyn
Exploring the beauty of creation, brokenness and expressing creativity through bird sculptures, jewellery making and colour exploration.
Core Workshop
Recycle & Reflect
Leaders: Martita, Pablo, Renata
Creating connection with nature and each other through the formation of a collaborative tree and reflecting on identity by making recycled mirrors.
Core Workshop
Paper Mache
Leaders: Nichole, Ivette, Sergio
Creating 3D cameras from recycled materials, the students explored their identity and wrote their brokenness on the camera before decorating them with colour and beauty.
Core Workshop
Mural & Masks
Leaders: Lindsey, Kevin, Jesse,
Ana Lucia
The students designed and made large masks while collaborating on “The Good Shepherd” mural. They ripped painted fabric to express their brokenness and incorporated it into their final mask creations.
Core Workshop
Drawing
Leaders: Karinda, Maliyha, Valeria
From self portraits, landscapes and squiggle drawings, the students developed their drawing skills while exploring the themes of identity, connection, brokenness and restoration.
Rotation Project
Screen Printing
Leaders: Jesse, David & Sergio
Students carefully pulled ink across the screen and lifted it to reveal the tee-shirt design beneath—often reacting with excitement and pride.
Rotation Project
Mixed Media
Leader: Evelyn
Learning about the three planes of landscapes (background, middle ground & foreground), the students used a variety of materials to create their landscape
Rotation Project
Faces
Leader: Rosie
Each student, Opal House staff member, farm animal and I AM ART team member was represented on the banner. They drew their face using marker and pen, and added texture through mixed media materials.
Rotation Project
Mural
Lindsey, Ana Lucia
All students participated in adding their mark to “The Good Shepherd” mural.
Rotation Project
Teacher Workshop
Leader: Karinda
Five Opal House teachers participated in a drawing workshop.
Leadership Workshop
Team Workshop
Leaders: David & Rosie
The team debriefed each day and then Rosie led a Team Art project which started with a single line self portrait and ended with a mini reflective booklet.
Rotation Project
Large Group
Leaders: Juan Pablo, Kevin, David and Ivette
Everyday started with Large Group – games, music, movement and Bible Teaching.
Rotation Project
Art Show
EVERYONE
The week ended with a celebration at the Art Show. Each Workshop and Rotation presented their projects. Families and friends gathered to look at the accomplishments!
Team Members
The Hands and Hearts Behind I AM ART
Lindsey Bailey
Core Workshop & Rotation Leader
USA & Ethiopia
“Healing doesn’t always happen through words—it often happens through making.”
Maliyha de Boom
Core Workshop Leader
US
“God is so amazing. We were able to love children who may not always receive that kind of love through the gifts He has given us.”
Rosie Messeder
Team Leader & Athentikos Intern
Guatemala & Scotland
“This week reminded me how God brings people together to support one another.”
Jesse Rich
Rotation Leader
US
“I didn’t realize how art could help children connect with and express their emotions.”
Renata Delgado
Assistant
Guatemala
“I always experience God’s love through children. Their hugs are the most sincere I’ve ever received.”
Kevin España
Large Group Music & Translator
Guatemala
“Brokenness reveals our most vulnerable places, but it also reminds us that God loves us through every hardship and every conflict.”
Alicia Chach
Preschool Core Workshop
Co-Leader
Guatemala
“Every year I leave seeing how useful God can make me in the lives of others.”
Ana Lucía Calderón Monroy
Translator
Guatemala
“This week reminded me that art helps us release what is in our hearts and becomes a place of refuge.”
Karinda de Boom
Core Workshop Leader & Teacher Workshop Leader
US
“Art opens doors for people to share their stories with one another.”
Evelyn Hernández
Rotation Leader
Guatemala
“I discovered that art can become a way of helping people know God, and that has inspired me to keep using the gifts He has given me.”
Lucía Chach
Preschool Core Workshop Leader
Guatemala
“This week is like rest for my soul. Helping children experience creativity and carry a seed of God’s love in their hearts is beyond measure.”
Nichole Rich
Core Workshop Leader
US
“Even with a language barrier, there was always love and grace.”
Marta Dilia Villela Mendez
Core Workshop Leader
Guatemala
“This week reminded me that I still have so much to give in serving God.”
Sergio Chávez
Translator
Guatemala
“The most rewarding moments came when I encouraged children to express themselves through what they loved.”
Valeria Vargas
Translator
Guatemala
“Art is one of the healthiest ways to express our feelings. I watched children discover more about themselves through the creative process.”
Jorge Pablo Hernández
Large Group Leader & Translator
Guatemala
“Seeing the kids recognize me, run to hug me, and get excited to play made it all worth it.”
Ivette Alvarado
Bible Teacher & Translator
Guatemala
“Teaching Ruth’s story had a powerful impact on me.”
"Art is one of the healthiest ways to express feelings.
Throughout the week I watched the children connect with their artwork, invest themselves in the creative process, and discover more about who they are.”
—Valeria Vargas, Interpreter
Volunteer Highlight
"This week is like a rest for my soul."
Some people have a remarkable gift for making children feel seen.
For more than fifteen years, Lucía has faithfully served alongside Athentikos, returning year after year to invest in children across Guatemala. A native Guatemalan, she has also volunteered at Opal House School for the past three years, bringing a joyful presence that has become as meaningful as the creative projects themselves.
This summer, Lucía once again chose to lead the preschool sculpture workshop, guiding the youngest students as they transformed simple materials into colorful birds full of imagination and personality.
Working with preschoolers requires more than creativity. It requires patience. Gentleness. Flexibility. And the willingness to celebrate every small success. Those are gifts Lucía shares naturally.
Whether kneeling beside a child who needs encouragement, laughing together over a handful of colorful feathers, or quietly helping tiny hands shape something they didn’t think they could create, she has a way of making every child feel welcomed, capable, and deeply valued.
That quiet ministry reflects the heart of I AM ART.
Long before children remember what they created, they remember how they were loved.
Year after year, Lucía continues to return, not because the projects change, but because the children do. Through every smile, every conversation, and every moment of patient encouragement, she reminds them that they are seen, celebrated, and wonderfully created by God.
Summary
Renewed by Love
Large Group leader, Juan Pablo, has served several years at Opal House I AM ART camp. Although he arrived feeling tired after working hard, the campers quickly renewed his energy. Juan Pablo shared, “Seeing the kids recognize me, run to hug me, and get excited to play made it all worth it.” Throughout the week, he loved leading games and watching campers engage with enthusiasm and joy. He was especially encouraged to see their confidence grow during Bible discussions and to hear how well they remembered the Scripture verses they had learned.
Summary
Understanding True Identity
From morning storytelling to paint-covered hands, from screens filled with fresh ink to banners declaring truth overhead, the week became its own kind of artwork, layer by layer, person by person, moment by moment. Along the way, students discovered they weren’t simply creating something beautiful. They were beginning to see that God had created them with beauty, purpose, and hope.
THANK YOU
Thank you to our donors
Because of your partnership, sixty children experienced far more than a week of art camp. They encountered a community where they were encouraged to create boldly, grow in confidence, and discover that they are God’s masterpiece. At the same time, volunteers and educators experienced renewed purpose as they witnessed creativity become a pathway to relationship, restoration, and hope.
Together, we celebrate all that God has done through I AM ART 2026 and look forward with hope to all He will continue to create through the Athentikos community.
Help more students experience restoration through creativity.
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