…And The Angels Came

May 22, 2011. 5:40 p.m.

It was a typical late spring day-a warm, Sunday afternoon in Joplin, Missouri-yet, this day would prove to be anything but. A catastrophic EF-5 tornado with winds over 200 miles per hour was bearing down from the southwest, carving a swath up to a mile wide through the city. It left behind mountains of mangled debris, unbelievable destruction, and death; proving to be the worst tornadic storm that the United States had experienced in 60 years.

Over the next few weeks and months, residents went through the arduous, painful tasks of recovery-both physical and emotional-and restoration in their lives, contending with grief and loss.

During this time, stories began to emerge of unusual circumstances experienced by ordinary people. There were numerous reports of unexplainable physical occurrences. There were many who noticed instances, details, or events that "just weren't right"-things that occurred around them that physically should not have happened. Others noted exactly the opposite, where something should not have occurred naturally, but did. There were multiple instances where persons described being assisted by a notably unique individual in one moment, then unable to find them in the next. These mysterious individuals might assist their extrication from the debris, or guide them and comfort them while they were together. Many people would describe those individuals as "guardian angels."

"...And The Angels Came" is a collection of the fascinating testimonies of 55 people describing and sharing the peace they experienced amid the chaos that enveloped them that day.