Do you know someone who has stepped away from the Church for a while and then later returned? I love hearing stories about how people find their way back to the Church and enjoy the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ again in their life.
I was listening to a podcast recently by Richard Ostler called Listen, Learn, & Love. The introduction of this episode said that the guest was from Baltimore, MD. I’ve been there several times. Usually just flying in and then driving to Harrisburg, PA.
Then the host said the guest’s name. Karim Lazarus. The last name was unique and sounded familiar. I thought that there was a missionary in our mission with that name.
He then said that he was 50 years old. I’m 50. So that matched.
He was a convert to the Church and went on a mission a year later and served a mission in France. I thought that it was a good chance that it was the missionary from my mission.
The host said that he had spent 15 years out of the church, and now had come back to full activity.
Karim then told about his life growing up without a dad in the home. He had some difficult experiences growing up. In between his junior and senior year of military high school, their family went through temple square and he was given a Book of Mormon. He was in the back of a motorhome as they traveled and he read it. He read it another time and then went to the Air Force Academy. At the Air Force Academy, one of the other cadets had a Book of Mormon. He struck up a conversation with this person and the cadet eventually introduced Karim to the missionaries. He took the lessons and he joined the Church. He decided to go on a mission a year later.
As Karim was telling his story he mentioned his mission president, Neil L. Andersen in Bordeaux, France. So now I knew that he was definitely a missionary in my mission.
