Nicky Cruz facts for kids

Nicky Cruz (born December 6, 1938) is a Puerto Rican Christian evangelist. He is known for founding Nicky Cruz Outreach, a Christian ministry. He also worked with David Wilkerson at Teen Challenge before starting his own ministry in California. Before becoming a minister, Nicky Cruz was the leader of a New York City gang called the Mau Maus.

Nicky Cruz's Early Life

Nicky Cruz was born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico. He grew up there with his parents. His parents followed spiritual practices that were sometimes difficult for him. His mother even called him "Son of Satan" at times. The area where he lived was challenging, and Nicky often got into trouble.

According to his book Run Baby Run, when he was 15, his parents sent him to live with his brother in New York City. However, Nicky soon ran away and started living on the streets. He joined a street gang called the Mau Maus. About six months later, he became a leader in the gang, quickly rising to become its president.

A New Path: Meeting David Wilkerson

Soon after Nicky became the gang leader, a preacher named David Wilkerson was speaking in the neighborhood. Nicky met him. The preacher told Nicky that "Jesus loved him and would never stop loving him." Nicky reacted strongly, hitting Wilkerson and making threats. Wilkerson tried again later to talk to Nicky, but Nicky responded in the same way.

Changing His Life: The Conversion

Later, David Wilkerson organized a special meeting in the neighborhood. He hoped to help the Mau Maus gang members change their lives. When Nicky heard about it, he and some of his gang members went to the boxing arena where the meeting was held. Wilkerson had even sent a bus for them.

Nicky later said that when he arrived at the arena, he "felt bad about the things that he had done." He began to pray. After Wilkerson finished speaking, he asked the Mau Maus to help collect money. Nicky volunteered and led a group of gang members through the crowd. They made sure people gave money.

Going backstage, Nicky saw an exit. But he decided to give the money to Wilkerson on stage instead. Later, Wilkerson invited people to come forward if they wanted to change their lives. Many gang members responded. Wilkerson prayed with Nicky, and Nicky asked God to forgive him.

After this, Nicky and some of the gang members who had changed went to the police. They turned in all their weapons, like bricks, handguns, and knives. The police officers were very surprised. They said that if they had seen the group coming, they might have reacted differently.

Sharing His Story: A New Calling

Nicky Cruz began to study the Bible and went to Bible college. He became a preacher. He then returned to his old neighborhood. There, he preached and helped more of the Mau Maus gang members become Christians. This included the gang's new leader, Israel Narvaez.

Books and Films About Nicky Cruz

Nicky Cruz has written two books about his own life. These are Run Baby Run (1968), written with Jamie Buckingham, and Soul Obsession (2005), written with Frank Martin. He has also written several other books with Christian themes. These include The Corruptors (1974), The Magnificent Three (1976), and Destined to Win (1991).

Nicky Cruz's story was also shown in a 1970 film. The movie was called The Cross and the Switchblade. Erik Estrada played Nicky Cruz, and Pat Boone played David Wilkerson. In 2013, Cruz wrote The Devil Has No Mother. This book shares his ideas about the devil's desire for power, but it also shows how God can still win.

See Also

In Spanish: Nicky Cruz para niños

• List of Puerto Rican writers
• List of Puerto Ricans
• Puerto Rican literature