“It was amazing spending the whole day with a bunch of women who were eager to learn more about God.”
Whitney Dahlberg was just one of the 224 women who got to spend the day in the conference. The 11th annual Woman to Woman conference on Saturday, February 25th was hosted by keynote Robin Jones Gunn, award winning Christian author. “I was surprised by how down-to-earth and fun Robin was,” said student Amber Stokes. “Her talks were both inspiring and enjoyable.”
The theme of the conference was the question, “What if God has dreams for your life?” Along with Gunn’s sessions, nine different workshops were available for the women. These workshops ranged from practical, every-day applications, to the arts, to lifestyle. Some of those offered were about photography, fitness, contentment and spiritual disciplines.
Dahlberg attended the photography class taught by Corban Graphic Designer Jessica Marple. “It was one of the best photo classes I have been to,” said Dahlberg. “The info was well laid out and not too technical. The ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots really showed how I could improve my pictures.”
Holly Schilperoort, Resident Director for Balyo, has been on the Woman to Woman Committee for three years now. “I think the reason that the conference was packed mostly had to do with that we had an outstanding speaker, Robin Jones Gunn!” explained Schilperoort. We do a lot of publicizing, offer fantastic workshops, and many women come each year, so those all help as well.”
Stokes and Dahlberg were among the 42 students who had the opportunity to take part in this community of women, both expressed that the day was very impacting. “This was my first Woman to Woman conference,” said Dahlberg. “Now I wish that I had gone to more. It helped me get my focus back on God during a busy semester.”
Truth was spoken into the lives’ of many women throughout the day. Dahlberg also made note of Lee Ann Zanon’s workshop. She said, “It was encouraging to hear how God was taking ordinary lives and using each event for his purposes.”
The conference was and has been a time for women of all ages to come together and be encouraged by the hope they have and that they are able to share with others. Stokes said, “It was wonderful to spend time with other women, both younger women like myself and older women, and to fellowship together and learn from one another.”