The Night the Angels Came

Title: The Night the Angels Came
Author: Chrissie Chapman
Major Themes: Burundi Civil War, Missionaries, Refugees, Orphanages
Synopsis: Chrissie Chapman tells the story of God’s love and provision for her as a midwife and later a mother of abandoned children during the Burundi Civil War.

A month or two ago, when talking to a friend about books we were reading, she mentioned that she had recently read and enjoyed The Night the Angels Came. She recommended it to me, and of course, I had to look it up—book addict that I am—and I quickly came to the conclusion that I wanted to read it. Now, I admit—I have a terrible weakness for books. If I find a book I want to read for a half-decent price, I’m likely to buy it. That’s what happened with this book. Several weeks later, it arrived, and I eagerly added it to my TBR list, and read it when I got a chance. It was a good book; I’m thankful my friend thought to tell me about the story!

After training as a nurse and midwife, Chrissie Chapman eventually found herself in Burundi, running a clinic on a mountainside. When civil war broke out around them, she was frightened—where was God? But somehow, she had to continue on, because there were still pregnant women that needed support and others that needed all the help and experience she could muster. During this time, she also came across several desperately needy children, and took them into her heart and home. Eventually, due to increased danger, she and the rest of the mission had to evacuate to a nearby city, where she took on new work of helping out in the refugee camps that sprung up. Through her work there, she quickly realized there were young children and babies, often separated from their families and everyone who knew them, who would die if someone didn’t take care of them. She felt she ought to do something about it, so she eventually started a home for rescued children. And despite incredible odds, the Lord blessed and provided for the work.

Chrissie’s story really blessed me. She consistently points to the Lord throughout the book, emphasizing over and over the impossibility of the work being able to go ahead without His help and provision. I loved that aspect of the story, especially; it reminded me of other missionaries’ stories—people like George Mueller and Hudson Taylor are two that come to mind. I feel like in our Western mindset, it’s easy to forget that the Lord delights in providing for His children’s needs—we’re so dependent on the government or others around us that we (I!) forget that the Lord is our ultimate provider. That aspect of the story was especially encouraging to me.

Some people may struggle with some aspects of this book; at one point, Chrissie talks about seeing angels guarding their mission buildings. There are also multiple instances where the Lord healed people with severe illnesses. Chrissie also attended a series of meetings where people were trying to get the Lord to touch them through the Toronto Blessing. She was disappointed that she didn’t feel anything special there, but eventually did feel the Spirit move and fill her with strength for what was ahead. At that time, she realized that God knows what’s best, and will give us what we need when we need it.

Overall, I found The Night the Angels Came inspiring, and came away enriched and encouraged to continue on and keep trusting Jesus. Chrissie comes across as very honest and down-to-earth, and her faith and trust in the Lord are refreshing to read about. If you enjoy stories about the Lord working and caring for His children, or appreciate reading about people who are faithful to follow the Lord—even if it doesn’t make sense—this could be a great book for you. I was in awe at some of the stories, held back tears for others, and generally, am thankful to have this book on my shelf now.

WARNING: Throughout the book are mentions of the Lord miraculously healing people. A baby dies in ch. 1, and there is a story of a man who was with other people who were shot and barely escaped with his life. Chrissie sees a vision of angels guarding buildings in ch. 2. The Toronto Blessing is described to some extent in ch. 3. In ch. 4, there is a story of a young girl who watched her family members being killed and had to hide under dead people’s bodies to escape. Later in ch. 4, there is a story of a man who shot a baby in a woman’s arms. A sick young lady dies in ch. 5. “My goodness” is used in ch. 6. In ch. 7, a child is kidnapped, a grenade is thrown into a garden and explodes, a woman is almost executed, and a man threatens a woman with a live grenade. In the “about the author” section at the end, there is a mention of the author getting drunk before meeting Jesus, and “good grief” is used.

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