Muslim Convert: American Soldier

Every time someone steps closer to God it is a victory for mankind.

Hello,
    This is a brief story of how I found the path to Islam. I was in the US Army stationed in Germany in 1990. We were preparing to be deployed to Desert Storm. My unit marched to the post movie theater to receive a briefing about Islam. The speaker went over some of the cultural highpoints of Islam and spoke about the 5 pillars of Islam. The 5 pillars intrigued me. I wanted a more thorough explanation. As a side bar, I was not a Christian or anything else converting to Islam. Granted I grew up in a Christian home, but I did not "practice" Christianity. I liked to party and visit the brothels in Mainz. I was open to new ideas. After the briefing, I went and spoke to the Chaplain that told us about Islam and he handed me a pamphlet about Islam in general. The pamphlet had an address to an Islamic Center in Ohio that I could write to order books about Islam. I sent away for information. Weeks later after I deployed to Turkey; I received a package at mail call from the Islamic Center. I had received a book about the 5 pillars and a Quran. Also an invitation to write and ask questions from a brother named Ibrahim. It was a miracle the package found me. We wrote back and forth for awhile and as I grew in knowledge in Islam, the more imperative it became that I should say Shahada. I wrote Ibrahim to ask him if I could call and if he would lead me in the Shahada. He sent me his number and arranged that an Imam conduct the Shahada. On the arranged night that I called. The Imam led me through the Shahada and then told me that many in the mosque had gathered to celebrate my conversion. I was very humbled by the turn out for me a stranger 10,000 miles away. I then began practicing Islam. After the deployment was over I went on leave and went to visit the Islamic Center. I met Ibrahim, the Imam, and many brothers. It was a very joyous occasion I still follow the teachings of Islam to this day.