Since coming back from spring break, Waynesburg University chapel reintroduced the Testimony Tuesday segment. This week’s service on March 24, at 1 p.m. will celebrate Charter Day. 

On March 17, Kaylee Ayers, a sophomore early education major, and Chaley Knight, instructor of psychology, told attendees their story and their personal testimony on what ultimately led them to where they are today.

Chaplain Anthony Jarrell first introduced Ayers to the podium to give her testimony. She began by sharing her faith journey throughout her childhood, high school, and early college years.

“In school everyone knew that I was a Christian, and even attended church with some of my classmates in elementary school,” Ayers said. 

Middle school is where she started to see a shift in her friends and started to be known as the “good Christian girl.”

During Covid, Ayers started bible journaling which helped her grow her faith and she started to share what she was journaling on social media. She currently has 43,600 followers on her bible journaling Instagram page. 

After going through a period of self-doubt and confidence issues, Ayers shared that she learned not to compare herself to others. 

“We’re all made in his image, and he has given us all unique talents and abilities,” Ayers said.

Finding Waynesburg University turned out to be a perfect fit for Ayers. She ultimately met a group of friends that joined her in her walk with Christ, and they now lead a women centered bible study of their own here at Waynesburg called “Delight.”

“I never would have imagined being able to lead college girls in a bible study, especially as a sophomore,” Ayers said. 

Ayers said that being able to reach out to women and invite them to worship together has allowed her to create friend groups that she has always prayed for. 

Carrying tissues and her bible, Knight then followed after Ayers to the podium to share her story. Starting her testimony at the time she began college here at Waynesburg, Knight shared the heartbreaking message she received during that semester. 

“That year I received a phone call that my sister who was seventeen years old had cancer,” Knight said. 

Even though Knight was a 100% match for her sister’s bone marrow transplant, God had a different plan, and she was tasked with picking out her sister’s casket she said.

Knight carries on sharing even more uncertain times that followed her through her late twenties and early thirties. She shared that she lost her grandmother just two weeks before her wedding. Similarly to Ayers, COVID brought Knight her own struggles when during that period of time, her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

“I was watching the family I had envisioned crumbled before me,” Knight said.

These years of uncertainly made her question God but then led her to learning how to let go of control.

“In the midst of uncertainty there is something new taking place that we can’t grasp yet,” Knight said. 

Knight compares her own uncertainty to the season of spring and how during the winter there are flowers under the surface that we cannot see, but they are coming. Knight challenged the listener to allow God to do the work for us and trust in him.

Knight closed chapel by praying for all the uncertainty in our lives and the upcoming spring season. Jarrell followed her by sharing that the upcoming chapel will be the Charter Day Convocation.

According to the Waynesburg University Chapel “Messages” podcast, the March 10 service featured spring break service trip testimonies from nursing faculty members Dr. Lina Hixson and Dr. Eve Weaver and youth ministry student Alisha Sloane.