IAA Opal House Summer 2025
impact
report
Healing through art, faith, and community.
Because of you, lives were changed.
Your generous support made it possible for children, families, and communities to experience healing, hope, and joy through the creative process of I AM ART. Together, we invited almost 100 participants to explore beauty, confront brokenness, and discover restoration—often for the first time.
Thank you for being part of this movement. Your gift didn’t just fund a camp—it opened hearts, sparked belonging, and helped restore lives through the power of art, story, and community. We are so grateful for your partnership.
GRACIAS!
— The Athentikos I AM ART Team
Creativity as Worship, Healing, and Justice
At the heart of every I AM ART experience is the belief that creativity reflects the image of our Creator. Through art, participants encounter new pathways to healing, restoration, and hope. As they create, break, and restore, they not only express their unique stories but also experience God’s redemptive love in tangible ways. This sacred intersection of faith and creativity invites transformation, offering beauty in the midst of brokenness and empowering communities to flourish.
The Experience
I AM ART is a creative journey of worship, healing, and justice.
Make
Explore God-given creativity and reflect His beauty through art.
Break
Process pain while holding to God’s promise: brokenness is not the end, but part of His greater story of redemption.
Restore
Transform broken things into something new and beautiful as a testimony of grace and purpose.
Opal House Guatemala
I AM ART Partner since 2019
Founded by Dr. Will and Diane, Opal House began as a leap of faith. What started as a vision for healthcare has grown into a thriving ministry—one that cares for the body, mind, and spirit.
Nestled on a peaceful avocado farm near Lake Atitlán, in the village of Agua Escondida, Opal House is home to La Casa de Opal, a Christian school offering high-quality education to children from nearby rural communities.
Their mission is simple but powerful:
To transform lives through faith, education, nutrition, and medical care.
Team Members
The Hands and Hearts Behind I AM ART
Creative Workshops
Powered by your generosity
Little Hands, Big Impact
Preschool Workshop
One of the most joyful spaces during this year’s I AM ART camp at Opal House was the preschool art class, lovingly led by Lucia, Sandra, and Alicia Chach. These three sisters, rooted in the local community, partnered with U.S. team members Anna Long and Carter Brown to create a safe, wonder-filled space where the youngest artists could explore, play, and grow.
Dancing with Joy
Dance Workshop
The I AM ART experience came alive through rhythm, movement, and uncontainable joy—thanks to a powerful dance workshop led by Guatemalan volunteer Renata Delgado.
Our 1st and 2nd grade artists discovered that movement is more than motion—it’s a way to speak truth, strength, and beauty with our whole selves.
Their little feet and open hearts reminded us: Our bodies can tell stories, too.
Pressing Into Meaning
Printmaking Workshop
Creativity became a sacred act of storytelling in the Opal House Summer 2025 Printmaking Workshop led by college senior Nathan Baggett from the University of Kentucky.
Alongside assistants Kevin España, Maricor, and Joseph Whaley, Nathan guided campers through the robust, hands-on process of linoleum block printing—where art becomes a voice for both beauty and brokenness.
Weaving Beauty from Brokenness
Textiles Workshop
This summer at Opal House, our 1st and 2nd-grade artists discovered the magic of fabric, color, and transformation in the Textiles Workshop, a creative journey led by college student Elena Baggett, who has spent the summer in Guatemala pouring her heart into both community and creativity.
She was joined by the caring hands and hearts of Katie Eller, Alicia Cosby, and Anita Noriega, who helped bring each child’s vision to life.
From Mandalas to Mosaics
Painting Workshop
Creativity met creation in a hands-on Painting Workshop led by Amelia Moore, Mario Delgado, Elliot Moore, and Mia Gonzales. Together, they guided students through a powerful journey of beauty, brokenness, and restoration—mirroring the divine design found in nature and each of us.
Rest, Reflect, Create
Creative Rotations
Beyond the large workshops, each afternoon at I AM ART Camp opened a new world of discovery through daily creative rotations—mini art experiences designed to help students explore new techniques and express the truth that they are wonderfully made and full of purpose.
Rest, Reflect, Create
Teacher Workshop
Beneath the wide branches of a tree at Opal House, five dedicated teachers gathered for something rare—a space created just for them.
The I AM ART Teacher Workshop, led by Amy Martinez and Dave Baggett, unfolded over three peaceful days filled with Scripture, storytelling, and soul-refreshing creativity.
the artists become the learners
Team Workshop
In this unique I AM ART experience, the team stepped into the I AM ART process themselves—not as leaders, but as participants. They became the artists. The storytellers. The ones willing to be seen, stretched, and transformed.
The Heartbeat of Camp
Large Group
Our large group gatherings became the beating heart of the I AM ART experience.
Each day, nearly 100 students and leaders came together in a vibrant space filled with storytelling, worship, movement, and joy.
It wasn’t just a time slot—it was a sacred rhythm that shaped the entire week.
Rooted in the Word
Team Bible Study
Each evening at I AM ART Camp, after the noise had faded and the last paintbrush had been rinsed, our team gathered for something quiet—but deeply powerful:
Bible study under the stars, led by Dave Baggett.
This time wasn’t about checking a spiritual box. It became a sacred rhythm, grounding us in God’s Word and preparing our hearts for each new day of ministry.
Art Show
Each I AM ART camp ends with a community art show, where participants proudly share the projects they’ve created. This gallery showcases the powerful story of hope, healing, and transformation.
Rest and Renewal
Post-Camp at Casa del Mundo
After a powerful week of pouring out through art, teaching, and spiritual connection at I AM ART Camp, our team embraced a time of intentional rest with an optional excursion to Casa del Mundo—a peaceful retreat carved into the cliffs above Lake Atitlán.
Spanish Immersion
Language School
After the I AM ART camp finished, three of our team members—Amelia Moore, Elena Baggett, and Katie Eller—chose to extend their stay in Guatemala for an immersive week of language and culture at Cooperativa Spanish School in San Pedro La Laguna, a lakeside village on Lake Atitlán.
Partners in Creative Restoration
I AM ART is possible because of the generous support of people who believe in the power of creativity and faith to transform lives.
Special thanks to these individuals who brought hope, healing, and connection to life at Opal House ’25 through their financial contributions.
Kolten Ackerman
Charles Aldridge
Lesley Allen
Tim and Sherri Andreas
Darlene Armendariz
Dave Baggett
Susan and Fred Brammell
Tina Breede
Nathan Brown
Ross Brown
Jenni Burris
Stephen Chisholm
Charles Cox
Karinda deBoom
Joe Douglas
Carrie Estes
Amy Flinchbaugh
Mary Louise Forsythe
Jen Galvin
Jamie Hampton
Rebeeca Hayes
Corin Havens
Keith Hoekman
Kristina Huddleston
Madeleine Johnson
Julie Jones
Nathan Jones
Julia Kilgore
Nace Lanier
Alexis Lee
David Lee
Dale Long
Jennifer Long
Katherine Milwee
Michael and Susan Miller
Amelia Moore
Kimberly Moore
William Moore
Jim Nelson
Jimmy Nelson
Rex Norvell
National Christian Foundation
Terry Parker
Melanie Pardue
Calista Petrie
Veronica Pierre
James Randle
Kasie Ralston
John Reagor
Jason Rice
Andrew Robinson
Jennifer Rowles
Shelley Shepherd
Lorena Silva
William Sofield
Margaret Swanson
Sharon Turkett
Paul Valentine
Jessica Welsh
Whiteland Community High School
Judith and Thomas Worley
Kolten Ackerman
Charles Aldridge
Lesley Allen
Tim and Sherri Andreas
Darlene Armendariz
Dave Baggett
Susan and Fred Brammell
Tina Breede
Nathan Brown
Ross Brown
Jenni Burris
Stephen Chisholm
Charles Cox
Karinda deBoom
Joe Douglas
Carrie Estes
Amy Flinchbaugh
Mary Louise Forsythe
Jen Galvin
Jamie Hampton
Rebeeca Hayes
Corin Havens
Keith Hoekman
Kristina Huddleston
Madeleine Johnson
Julie Jones
Nathan Jones
Julia Kilgore
Nace Lanier
Alexis Lee
David Lee
Dale Long
Jennifer Long
Katherine Milwee
Michael and Susan Miller
Amelia Moore
Kimberly Moore
William Moore
Jim Nelson
Jimmy Nelson
Rex Norvell
National Christian Foundation
Terry Parker
Melanie Pardue
Calista Petrie
Veronica Pierre
James Randle
Kasie Ralston
John Reagor
Jason Rice
Andrew Robinson
Jennifer Rowles
Shelley Shepherd
Lorena Silva
William Sofield
Margaret Swanson
Sharon Turkett
Paul Valentine
Jessica Welsh
Whiteland Community High School
Judith and Thomas Worley
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