What IF:Gathering Meant to Me w/ Sowmya Gali

If you missed the IF:Gathering, you missed big!  Don't worry, we plan to participate again next year.  Here Somwya Gali shares what the experience meant to her:

Growing up I attended children’s retreat at my church in Hyderabad, India every January. During animportant Hindu festival, schools were closed for three days. My dad’s aunt who used to stay with us used to accompany me and my sister to this retreat. We used to pack our lunch boxes and head out every morning. All our Sunday school teachers and close to 200 kids used to gather in the big sanctuary.

‘The Ten Commandments’ was the theme every year. All the teachers use to divvy up the Ten Commandments among themselves and a lesson was taught on each commandment. Kids who accepted the Lord as their personal savior would share their testimonies. We were taught new songs by older kids. Little skits were performed by teachers. Prizes were given for memorizing all the Ten Commandments. Sometimes quizzes, competitions and fun games were also conducted. This was what retreat meant for me. As I grew older, I was tired of the same old commandments repeated year after year. I felt I was too old for such childish things. Every attempt to skip the retreat in my 13th & 14th years drew the ire of my folks. However, in my 15th year, I skipped the retreat due to an important examination at school. Ever since, I never attended a retreat again. Until IF, that is.


When a Women’s IF: Gathering was announced at Westside, I was dreading if this also would be similar to the same old grinding of The Ten Commandments. I was hesitant to sign up. As I was going through the website for this ‘retreat’, I was intrigued by the theme: Joshua’s calling. I’ve always loved Joshua as his story has always been my favorite. Any new insights into his story, I was always eager to learn. So I signed up for the retreat, casting out all my inhibitions and taking that leap of faith.

All my prayerful preparations, doubts and gathered information didn’t prepare me for the overwhelming 24 hours of retreat. From the beginning to the end, every speaker’s message, every song sung, every prayer uttered, every shout of praise transported me in to an alternative universe where I was in the company of angels, like minded souls around me singing (some off key just like me) with hands raised up, tears streaming down their faces and on their feet. The worship time was unparalleled to anything that I have witnessed before in my life.

More than anything else, I witnessed an army of women, women just like me taking a stand for the Lord. Just being a part of such amazing, empowered and inspiring company of women spiked my desire to be in God’s Presence always and enjoy His Company. After each speaker’s message, I was hungry for more. I wanted to bask in God’s Glory as it descended into the sanctuary that day. It was indeed glorious to be in the presence of the Lord. Just being there was enough. A women’s retreat, women’s empowerment camp to stand for the Lord, a mind transformation tool to use God given talents for His Kingdom and a transportation vehicle to enter into God’s Shekinah Glory, all wrapped up into a 24 hour rollercoaster ride of my lifetime – that was what it was. Sign me up for the next one, please!

You can still participate with IF!  Follow their daily devotionals and join thousands of women across the world studying the same scripture at the same time.  Start an IF:Table as a way to dive into faith conversation with friends and neighbors.  Find out more at www.ifgathering.com.