The Candy Man

Last week, we shared some names, photos, and prayer requests about people we are ministering to on a weekly basis. I promised to introduce you to The Candy Man. It all started when...

...a 10 yr old girl, named, María José, attended our Saturday Kid's Club in the Park. She is seated with the hat on in the photo above. While talking with her after the club, she mentioned to us that she basically lived at the park. Oh really? Why is that? She then replied, "My dad works at the park. He's the Candy Man. So everyday after school, I come to the park to play and be with my dad until he gets off work."

Normally, on Saturdays, our family arrives at the park early to set up and hand out invitations to the Kid's Club. While handing out the invitations, I saw the Candy cart and remembered what María José told us about her dad, The Candy Man!!! Putting the invitations in my pocket, I decided to spend some extra time talking to him and finding out more about his life, his story, and his family. After introducing myself, he remembered hearing about our little Bible Club from his daughter. He thanked us for teaching his daughter and showing kindness to her and the other children at the park.

After asking several open ended questions about his background and life, he went on to tell me the sad reality of the recent events in their family. You see, Gabriel (The Candy Man) wasn't always the Candy man. He used to work as a carpenter for a good company. Life was good (at least it was good in the eyes of an unsaved man). His wife had a good job downtown as well.

Then life turned upside down. The wife, Roxanna (pictured below with Kristi), lost her job, because her company closed its doors. She then started to sell candy at the park to continue to help the family's finances. But selling candy in the park was quite a pay cut for her.

Then she found out that she had breast cancer. As you can imagine, this was a devastating blow to her and the family. Her doctor recommend chemotherapy (8 sessions, one every 21 days). Long story short, Gabriel had to leave his good job as a carpenter in order to help his wife at home, since her strength and health was greatly affected during the treatments. It was then, Gabriel went from a carpenter to The Candy Man.

Their family now lives a few blocks from the park in a rented room. Gabriel now mans the candy cart seven days of week. Roxanna relieves her husband once a day so he can go home to eat lunch and rest for a couple hours. This is their new life. It's a hard life. Through our conversations with Gabriel and Roxanna, there have been opportunities to share with them about our Sovereign God and His love for them. Whenever our family goes to the park to play or do the Kid's Club, we stop by and chat with them and have our children pick out a candy to buy from their candy cart. We are deepening and developing a relationship with them.

Our little group of believers and attenders of our Bible studies are pooling together some food items in the next few weeks to give to this family. We would like to fill a large basket full of practical food items as well as a Bible and other Gospel literature. I have offered to pick Roxanna up from the hospital and drive her home on the days of her chemotherapy.

So whenever you are passing through the candy aisle at the local grocery store, would you pray for us as we minister to The Candy Man and his family. We are praying for more opportunities to share the Gospel and Biblical Truth with this family. Wouldn't it be amazing if God saved this family?

To be continued...