On The Patrick Madrid Show, we heard from Pearl, a recent convert to Catholicism from Islam. Wow: her story is a rollercoaster of faith, history, and, honestly, some divine nudges.

Background: Pearl grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution as a Shia Muslim. Her family moved to the U.S. as war refugees in 1988. Despite her parents not being interested in Islam, Pearl returned to practicing it in her 30s but still felt something was missing.

The Spark: Pearl’s a huge history buff who stumbled across The Patrick Madrid Show and became obsessed: listening every single day for two years. Patrick’s calm, analytical way of explaining things and the sheer volume of history-focused content really hooked her.

The Search: Pearl went on a research spree: devouring Patrick’s books, scouring YouTube for old interviews, and just basically being an unstoppable seeker. It was especially one point that Patrick made repeatedly: “No matter how far we go back, we always find Catholicism.” That line stuck with her. She started seeing Catholicism as the original faith from which Islam borrowed. That realization made her want to go back to the source.

The Vanuatu Moment: While working freelance on a volcanic island (no big deal), she prayed for guidance in a random Seventh-Day Adventist church. The very next day, she ended up getting stranded on the island and met a woman working on a maternity ward project. Pearl ended up helping with social media for the project and became close friends with this Christian woman. Pearl finally shared her conversion story… telling her friend she became Catholic thanks to Patrick Madrid.

What’s Next? Pearl’s based in LA and reached out to Patrick for some guidance on where to go from here. Patrick recommended:

- Visiting the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra, run by joyful Carmelite sisters who can help her find a parish and deepen her faith journey.

- Reading “From Islam to Christ” by Derya Little, another Muslim convert’s story that might inspire her even more.

It’s safe to say Pearl’s journey is just beginning. Let’s keep her in prayer!

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