AUDIO: Click to hear Alyssa receive the phone call telling her she won a dude ranch family vacation.

AUDIO: Click to hear Alyssa talk about her artwork on Jesus seeing into people's hearts.

AUDIO: Click to hear Alyssa talk about her artwork on Jesus driving the money-changers out of the temple.

AUDIO: Click to hear Alyssa talk about what she'll get to do at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  

CONTACT:
Carey Kinsolving (Children’s International Arts Festival organizer)
956-772-1920
carey@KidsTalkAboutGod.org
www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org

Jerry Helmicki, Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch owner
Phone: (800) 396-6279, 970-725-3437
Email: BarLazyJ@rkymtnhi.com

Gene Andres (Alyssa’s father)
Phone: 250-992-6386 (Office); 250-991-9253 (Mobile)
Email: gandres@telus.net

BC Girl, 9, Draws Two Pictures of Jesus To Win Dude Ranch Family Vacation

Quesnel, BC, April 16, 2009 – When 9-year-old Alyssa Andres asked her dad if she could get a horse, he told her that they needed a bigger place. Her next question was, “When are we moving?”

For one week this summer, Andres will have her bigger place to ride horses. Through the art she drew for the Children’s International Arts Festival, she has won a week of riding for her entire family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado (www.BarLazyJ.com). The Andres family will enjoy majestic vistas from horseback at 7,500 to 8,500 feet in a lush valley along the Colorado River near its headwaters about 100 winding miles northwest of Denver.

Andres learned of her vacation prize when reporters entered her classroom to observe her response to the surprise phone call from Bar Lazy J owner Jerry Helmicki and festival organizer Carey Kinsolving. Helmicki told Andres she would be riding a bay horse named Banner for the entire week. A little overwhelmed by all the excitement, Andres managed to say, “That’s cool!” That phone call along with her winning art can be heard and viewed at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/alyssa.
 
When asked why his daughter entered the festival, Gene Andres said: “Alyssa loves Jesus, and she loves to read her Bible. Art is her favorite class in school, and she loves horses. This contest brought all these loves together and made it especially appealing to her.”

Children’s International Arts Festival organizer and syndicated columnist Carey Kinsolving selected Alyssa’s winning art to publish in the online, storybook Bible he plans to write and publish on his website, www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. “Alyssa’s artwork of Jesus driving the moneychangers out of the temple is outstanding as well as her art depicting Jesus’ perceptive powers of our motives,” said Kinsolving. “I can’t wait to publish both pieces in the ‘Kids Color Me Bible Gospel of John.’”

Kinsolving says the good news for all Canadian children is that they can write and draw to win dude ranch family vacations for the summer of 2010. The online festival is ongoing until further notice. Kinsolving says he plans to start announcing 2010 winners this fall. He is in the process of signing new agreements with dude ranch owners. There is no entry fee, and all the festival information is available at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.

The Children's International Arts Festival is sponsored by KidsTalkAboutGod.org and participating dude ranches. Festival organizer Carey Kinsolving writes a weekly Kids Talk About God column, distributed through Creators Syndicate, and has produced a series of popular TV spots for an ABC affiliate that can be seen on the Kids Talk About God website.

END

Winning Art and Writing by Alyssa Andres, 9:

Festival Question: When is it good to get angry? (John 2:12-17)

Click Artwork Image to Download in High-Resolution

Artist Alyssa Andres, 9, of Quesnel, BC won a vacation for her family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado (www.barlazyj.com). Her artwork of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple will be published in the “Kids Color Me Bible Gospel of John” at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. Festival entries are being accepted now for dude ranch vacations in 2010. For information, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.

Festival Question: Why didn't Jesus trust people? (John 2:18-25)

Artist Alyssa Andres, 9, of Quesnel, BC won a vacation for her family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado (www.barlazyj.com). Her artwork of Jesus perceiving our motives will be published in the “Kids Color Me Bible Gospel of John” at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. Festival entries are being accepted now for dude ranch vacations in 2010. For information, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.

Click photo of Alyssa to download in high-resolution.

Nine-year-old Alyssa Andres of Quesnel, BC won a vacation for her entire family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado by entering the Children’s International Arts Festival. Her two pictures will be published in the “Kids Color Me Bible Gospel of John” at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. Entries are now being accepted to win dude ranch vacations for the summer of 2010.

Reporters surprised Alyssa Andres, 9, by coming into her classroom at N. Caribou Christian Academy in Quesnel, BC where she learned she had won a vacation for her family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado. Her two pictures will be published in the “Kids Color Me Bible Gospel of John” at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. Entries are now being accepted to win dude ranch vacations for the summer of 2010.

Alyssa Andres, 9, entered the Children's International
Arts Festival at KidsTalkAboutGod.org and won a
dude ranch vacation for her family at
Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado.

Alyssa, 9, will be riding horses with her family at
Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch this summer, thanks to her wonderful
entry in the Children's International Arts Festival at KidsTalkAboutGod.org.

Children's International Arts Festival winner Alyssa Andres, 9, will be spending a week this summer riding a horse -- maybe one of these! -- along with her family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado. The festival is now accepting entries for 2010 at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.

Children's International Arts Festival winner Alyssa Andres, 9, won a weeklong vacation this summer riding horses along with her family at the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in Parshall, Colorado. The festival is now accepting entries for 2010 at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.