COEUR d'ALENE — Survivors of horrific and tragic events will share their testimonies at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 during the "Journey of Forgiveness" event at the Altar Church.

The panel will include Cara Kernodle, Sara Weaver and pastor Tim Remington.

Cara Kernodle of Post Falls is the mother of Xana Kernodle, a University of Idaho student who was murdered Nov. 13, 2022, alongside roommates Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves and boyfriend Ethan Chapin.

Cara publicly forgave Bryan Kohberger, who admitted to the killings, during his sentencing hearing July 23.

“Through all this, Jesus saved,” Cara said Thursday. "Just through the word of God was how I came to forgiveness."

That forgiveness touched countless lives.

"I was contacted by so many people from all over the world that it impacted," Cara said. "As hard as it is to share my story, I see the good that it’s doing. It’s drawing people to Christ and to possibly forgive people they need to forgive.

"It’s really not for the other person," she said. "It's so we can heal and get over that bitterness ourselves."

The impact of creating light through darkness has encouraged Cara to want to do more.

"I want to point people to Jesus and forgiveness," she said. "That’s how we can heal."

Weaver is a survivor of the 1992 federal siege at Ruby Ridge in Naples. The standoff claimed the lives of Weaver's mother, Vicki Weaver, and brother Samuel Weaver, who were shot and killed by an FBI sharpshooter and a U.S. Marshal, respectively.

Sara, who now lives in Montana, told The Press she will participate in the Sept. 6 event "because forgiveness is incredibly important to me and it's an honor to stand beside others who have had the courage to do so publicly."

She said she hopes a takeaway for those who attend is that forgiveness can bring freedom to the forgiver — "That it's a courageous choice to make. Not a feeling to wait for."

Sara said forgiveness, to her, means freedom from bitterness.

"It's a choice based simply on the fact that Jesus forgave me and He asks I do the same," she said. "It does not mean that the terrible things that happen in life are being justified or are OK, or that they should be allowed to happen again. But it's recognizing I am not meant to carry the burden of bitterness."

Remington has also openly walked a path of forgiveness after Kyle Odom shot him six times with hollow-point bullets March 6, 2016. Remington forgave Odom at his November 2017 sentencing to 10 years fixed in prison with an additional 15 years indeterminate. In an April 6 Press article, Remington said he will attend Odom's parole hearing if he is able.

“I may try to show up for that and see what I can do to help him,” he said.

The Altar Church is at 901 E. Best Ave., Coeur d'Alene.

Tickets to "Journey of Forgiveness" are free. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to secure their seats.

Visit eventbrite.com and search for the Coeur d'Alene event "Journey of Forgiveness."

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