South Texas Children’s Art Festival winners surprised with SPI family vacations

By Carey Kinsolving

Seven-year-old Daniella Garcia had her fingers crossed on both hands as Carey Kinsolving announced that he came to her class to award a South Padre Island family vacation. Garcia’s fingers quickly uncrossed when Kinsolving announced she had won a vacation for her family at Holiday Inn Beach Resort South Padre Island along with credit to eat at resort restaurants.

Garcia answered and illustrated two questions for the South Texas Children’s Arts Festival. One of the questions was, “How does the Holy Spirit help Christians?”

“The Holy Spirit helps Christians to pray,” Garcia wrote. “He gives us the right words. You can feel it in your heart. The Holy Spirit leads us to the truth by doing the right thing and leading us to God.”

Garcia’s artwork and writing along with all finalists and an additional winner can be viewed at https://kidstalkaboutgod.org/finals2024/. Garcia is a student at Macedonian Christian Academy in Alamo.

At Episcopal Day School in Brownsville, Ally Tay, 10, faced a similar situation as Kinsolving informed her class that he would announce the winner of another South Padre Island family vacation. When Kinsolving announced that Tay won, all her classmates clapped and rallied around her in the Episcopal Day School auditorium.

“This would not be possible without her great teachers,” said Sue Anne Chew, Tay’s mother. “They encouraged and guided her throughout the process. We are reminded from my daughter’s art and writing that all glory goes to God.”

To the question of how God the Father glorified Jesus, Tay wrote: “God the Father glorified Jesus by making him strong enough to bear the weight of sin. Jesus was without sin of any kind, but Jesus had to bear the weight of everyone’s sin.”

Tay and her entire family will enjoy a week’s vacation at Isla Grand Beach Resort on South Padre Island along with credit to eat at resort restaurants and snack bars.

This is the 11th consecutive year in which Valley children have won vacations for their families by answering questions from the Gospel of John and drawing art to illustrate their answers.

Because of sponsors like Dr. Martin Garza of DLC Pediatrics in Edinburg, Bob and Karen Boggus, Melba’s Dance, Holiday Inn Beach Resort SPI and Isla Grand Beach Resort, there is no entry fee for Valley children ages 5-12 to enter the annual arts festival.

Carey Kinsolving started the online South Texas Children’s Arts Festival with his wife to gather material for his syndicated newspaper column, Kids Talk About God. Artwork is considered for Kinsolving’s online book, Kids Color Me Bible Gospel of John. Both can be found at KidsTalkAboutGod.org.