Every year, before students arrive at I AM ART Camp, a team of volunteers gathers to prepare logistics, organize materials, and pray for the week ahead. Many have served with Athentikos before. Some are participating for the first time. Together, they represent the heart of a ministry built on relationships that have grown over many years.
Few people reflect that story more beautifully than Lucía Chach.
Lucía is native to Guatemala, has been serving with Athentikos since 2010 and has volunteered at Opal House School for the past three years. This summer, she once again chose to lead the preschool sculpture workshop, guiding the youngest students as they created colorful bird sculptures from mixed materials. Working with preschoolers requires extraordinary patience, energy, and joy—qualities that Lucía brings naturally through her warm smile, infectious laughter, and genuine love for every child she meets.
For Lucía, however, returning each year is about much more than teaching an art project.
“This week is like rest for my soul. Every year, serving at camp is part of my commitment to God. Helping even the youngest children experience creativity and carry a seed of God’s love in their hearts is beyond measure.”
—Lucía Chach (translated from Spanish)
That quiet commitment has become part of Athentikos’ story.
Over the years, Lucía’s faithful service has inspired others to join her. This summer, her sister Alicia Chach returned to serve alongside her, and together they invited their friend Evelyn Hernández to the volunteer team for her first I AM ART Camp. What began as one person’s willingness to serve has grown into a shared commitment among friends and family who now invest together in the lives of children.
Throughout the week, their classroom was filled with the joyful energy that only preschoolers can bring. Students eagerly shaped clay, experimented with color and texture, and proudly shared their bird sculptures with one another. Amid the excitement, the volunteers created an environment where every child felt encouraged to participate, ask questions, and celebrate small successes.
One student left a lasting impression on Lucía.
Every morning, a preschooler named Rosalí greeted her with an enthusiastic hug before joining the day’s activities. As the week unfolded, Lucía watched Rosalí eagerly help classmates, embrace new challenges, and encourage others with a confidence that far exceeded her years.
Reflecting on the week, Lucía wrote:
“Every morning Rosalí came running to hug me. She was always ready to help others, eager to learn, and courageous even when she felt afraid.”
—Lucía Chach (translated from Spanish)
Those moments reminded the volunteer team that the greatest impact of camp is often found in ordinary interactions—a welcoming smile, a word of encouragement, or the consistent presence of adults who care deeply for each child.
Serving alongside Lucía also left a profound impression on Evelyn. Although she came expecting to help teach art, she discovered a deeper purpose behind the creative process.
“For me, art has always been a form of creative expression. This week I discovered it can also become a way of helping people know God. That realization has inspired me to continue using the gifts He has given me so others can discover who He is through creativity.”
—Evelyn Hernández (translated from Spanish)
Her reflection captures one of the most meaningful outcomes of I AM ART Camp. The ministry doesn’t simply invest in children—it also invests in artists, educators, and volunteers who leave with a renewed vision for how God can use creativity to serve others.
Lucía’s story is a beautiful example of that ripple effect.For more than fifteen years, she has faithfully offered her gifts to Athentikos. Today, that faithfulness continues to multiply through the people she mentors, the volunteers she invites, and the children she encourages each summer. Long after the sculptures have been taken home and the classrooms have been cleaned, her legacy lives on in relationships that continue to grow from one year to the next.
For donors, that legacy is an important reminder that your investment reaches far beyond a single week of camp. It nurtures a community of servant leaders who return year after year, carrying forward Athentikos’ mission to help people discover their creative voice and identity through art, community, and meaning-making rooted in the life, love, and teachings of Jesus.
Read the Full Impact Report for Opal House I AM ART camp here.
