Next week will mark the 34th anniversary of my decision to become Catholic. When I look back on that time, I’m amazed by how little I knew, and how Our Lord and Our Lady guided me into the Church in spite of my ignorance. I was also hopelessly naïve: I saw the Church through rose-colored glasses, and had I known then the true depth of the crisis in today’s Church, I might not have converted.

But Our Lord is merciful, and He never gives us more than we can bear. Over the years I’ve come to recognize the evils that exist in the Church, yet I can honestly say that I’m more excited to be Catholic today than I was three decades ago. Why? Because I’ve seen the wonderful works of God inside the Church—works that far outweigh any evils that man can commit. I’ve seen hardened souls (including my own) converted, families earnestly serving the Lord in spite of hardship, and priests glorifying God by their quiet and faithful service to Him.

I recently sat down with Keith Nester, a former Protestant pastor who converted to Catholicism ten years ago, to discuss my journey. It’s the most in-depth and intimate interview I’ve ever given: I detail my conversion, my work in evangelization over the years, and how I view today’s crisis in the Church. Ultimately, it’s a message of hope: that God is with us and is converting souls, no matter how bad things might look around us.

Watch the full interview here: