The angels arrive at a camp for HIV positive teenage girls to find two veterans, Nikki and Erin picking on the “newbies” Melanie, Kim and Abby. Acting as counselors, the angels get to know the girls and try to help them deal with their fears. Rafael speaks to Melanie, learning her mother died of AIDS when she was a child. Melanie tells him of the song, “Duermete Nino Lindo,” which her mother used to sing. Meanwhile, Erin develops a crush on Andrew and is heartbroken when he seemingly rejects her.

Tired of painting the names of past participants who are no longer alive on a rock known as “the face,” Erin talks the other girls into a suicide pact as some way of ending life their own way, without pain or pity. The girls then steal drugs from the infirmary where Rafael is working and prepare a suicide cocktail. As the girls all meet at “the face” to go through with the suicide, the angels arrive. Rafael begins playing “Duermete Nino Lindo” and Melanie loses her resolve to kill herself. As the other girls follow suit, only Nikki remains intent on suicide. The angels then appeal to Erin to take the lead and she convinces Erin to give up the suicide plan. As all the girls now realize that their best times may lie ahead, the angels lead them in singing “Duermete Nino Lindo” (Hush My Pretty Baby).

The town of Clarion, South Dakota is in the midst of a farm killing drought when Tess and Monica arrive to help them with their growing crisis of faith. Justinian Jones, a struggling farmer, enters Cotton’s barber shop where a heated debate quickly develops between he, Cotton, Judge Dawes and Risa, the town mayor, as to whether the town should sell out to a huge agricultural company. Having arrived to serve as auctioneer of the towns assets, Andrew sits quietly in the barber chair as Risa advocates selling to the conglomerate before the drought kills the town.

Opposed to her is Justinian who is determined to stay on his farm even if he has to sell his horse and “pull the darned plow” himself. Continuing his tirade, Justinian decides to sue God. The Judge outlines how he should serve notice to God through the newspaper and a hearing is set. Outside, Justinian’s daughter, Leela tells her boyfriend Gordon of her plans to leave town in search of more opportunity while he tries to convince her of the virtues of the small town they have grown up in. Later, all the townspeople gather in the court room, fully expecting a rapid dismissal of the case. Tess arrives to act as council for God and a jury trial is granted.

As the trial begins, Jones begins by saying that droughts are considered “acts of God” and as such, He should be held responsible for the “intentional infliction of emotional stress” upon the people of Clarion. One by one, Tess calls the townspeople as witnesses in an attempt to show them how God has blessed them. When Tess calls Monica, the angel as an expert witness, Justinian corners her on the stand and temporarily stuns God’s defense team by asking for an end to the drought. After a short recess and a prayer from Monica. She then returns to God with his answer to Justinian’s request. The answer is “no.” Justinian then realizes how blessed he is and Risa and the others rally together at a town picnic. As Justinian leads all in a prayer of thanks, their faith is rewarded as rain begins to pour out of the clear blue sky.

While Tess and Monica work at an inner-city coffee shop, they see their next assignment, a group of homeless teenagers who have given up their real names to avoid being returned to the families that they no longer trust. “Doc,” “Lightning,” “China,” and the missing “Fish” have formed a family and soon take in a young girl who is new to the street, changing her real name from Alexandra to “Ally.” Losing their current shelter and trusting no one, the kids go to a junkyard where the angel, Rafael, offers to let them build a shelter in exchange for watching over the place. When all the collective money of the group is gone, China takes to the streets to earn money as a prostitute. As she gets into a car, the missing “Fish” is dying in the care of Andrew.

Afterward, Monica and Andrew begin to lose heart while Tess and Rafael urge them to be patient and “not push so hard.” China continues to dream of being a poet, writing in her treasured journal while Doc’s cough worsens. Ally burns her remaining pictures from home and begins to panhandle as Lightning begins to develop a drug problem. After China loses her journal, Monica finds it and returns it to her on the street, convincing her to meet her at the coffee shop. Monica waits for China but she never arrives. The following day, Doc collapses in Tess’ coffee shop. China is then found by Andrew, dying from a beating by one of her customers. Monica blames herself for not being a better angel, holding China’s journal. Rafael reveals himself to Doc, asking him to trust in God.

No longer succeeding with her panhandling, Ally puts on makeup and attempts to follow in China’s footsteps. Monica tells her that China is dead and shows her the first entry of China’s journal in which she said she could never prostitute herself and explains to her that “it’s never too late to apologize,” but rather “just in time.” As Ally prepares to leave on her bus ride home, Doc stops by for a brief “goodbye” as he and Rafael leave for the hospital. Lightning is dumbfounded that Ally is leaving but she prepares him for the revelation he is about to have in the presence of the Tess, Monica, and Andrew. “Do you believe in God, Lightning? You will.”

In the first half of a two-part crossover episode of “Touched By an Angel” and “Promised Land,” Joe Greene, the long-lost brother of Russell returns, speeding wrecklessly down the highway as Tess, Monica and Andrew follow. When another car pulls out in front of Joe, he runs the car off the road and kills a father and son, while saving the youngest son. Lying about the accident to the police, he is then thought to be a “good samaritan” and quickly leaves.

When he runs out of gas, Andrew arrives as a hitchhiker and offers to give him gas in exchange for a ride to Chicory Creek. Once in Chicory Creek, Andrew leaves and the car breaks down. Joe then breaks into the home of his family’s old friend, Erasmus Jones, not knowing that his family is currently visiting. Russell catches him in the kitchen, quickly saying hello by punching him and the whole family is soon awake, marvelling at his return. At the hospital, the young boy injured in the wreck clings to life while Monica acts as a hospital caseworker, comforting the mother, Mrs. Mills. Mrs. Mills wants to meet the good samaritan and Monica supplies the address to Erasmus’ house.

While meeeting Mrs. Mills, Joe lies to her while Russell listens skeptically as Joe refuses to visit the surviving child at the hospital. With the sudden return of his father, Nathaniel is very angry but convinces his father to visit the child when his hopelessly inoperative car suddenly starts. While at the hospital, Monica reveals herself as an angel and Joe flees, taking stolen pharmaceuticals with him. Coming perilously close to another auto accident, he is stopped by Tess who takes Nathaniel and demands that Joe return to Monica at the hospital. Upon his return, Monica convinces him to “face the truth and seek forgiveness,” and that God wants to save his life.

Joe returns to Erasmus’ house and tells Russell the truth about the car accident. Russell becomes enraged and tells him to leave. Joe gathers his things and leaves without telling his mother goodbye. Hattie then blames herself, asking Russell “What could I have done differently?” Claire then enters with a note from Nathaniel explaining that Nathaniel has left to help his father who “needs him more now.” As the episode ends, Nathaniel is stowed away in the backseat of Joe’s car as Joe pops pills and swerves into the night.

Tess, Monica, Andrew and Ruth arrive in the announcer’s box of a professional basketball game overlooking their next assignment, Eric (E.Z.) Mony, the star point guard for the Salt Lake Saints. Tess tells the others that Eric is angry and rebellious, with a complete disregard for rules. As the angels look on, Eric shoves a referee. Although Ruth is told that her assignment is only to observe the situation, she is soon moving down in the stands in order to speak to the referee. Due to her interference, a jersey thrown into the crowd by Mony goes to a very impressionable 14 year-old named Darnell. Sam, the special affairs angel arrives to explain that the case has just taken a turn for the worse because a bond was formed between E.Z. and Darnell.

Later at the Boys Club, Sam coaches Darnell and his friends and introduces Monica as the new tutor. Meanwhile, as E.Z. is disavowing his status as a role model, we learn of the disappearance of a hockey player by the name of Winston El Camio. As E.Z. prepares to leave the stadium, Andrew introduces himself as the ghost writer who will be writing his E.Z.’s tell-all book. Ruth, having recovered from her blunder at the stadium, approaches Darnell. She tells him that E.Z. is not someone to look up to, that he cannot read. Darnell then goes to E.Z. and blackmails him with the information, demanding “a night in the life of E.Z. Mony” in return for his silence. While on the town, E.Z. takes Darnell to a casino and quickly loses $100,000. Two henchmen of the casino then threaten E.Z. with his life if he doesn’t shave points, invoking the name of Winston El Camio as evidence of their seriousness.

The next day, E.Z. learns of the death of El Camio and has no choice but to try and throw the game. Convinced that E.Z. will pull off the scam, Darnell takes bets from his friends. When the game begins, E.Z. is miraculously unable to miss and the Saints win. Darnell confronts E.Z. after the game and E.Z. rebukes him, “You’re livin’ poor and you’re gonna die poor.” Darnell slinks out and the two henchmen enter to kill E.Z. As E.Z. prays to God, Andrew reveals himself and demands, in the name of God, that the men leave. As the men exit, Andrew tells E.Z. God wants him to learn to read. In the pressbox, Monica consoles Ruth, showing her the marquee which is now flashing “God Loves You.” As E.Z. and Darnell meet on the court, both look up at the flashing marquee. E.Z. vows to learn to read and Darnell cries as he realizes that he is truly loved by God.uu

Bill McNabb, a cappuccino machine salesman, arrives with his pregnant wife, Joann at Juliano’s Coffee Shop where Andrew is acting as temporary manager. While Bill tries to sell the “newest and best” machine to Andrew, Joann comfirms their plans to give a baby shower for friends at the coffee shop later that evening. Having overheard the discussion of babies, Monica introduces herself as a Lamaze teacher and invites Joann to attend a class.

Bill and Joann then go to a Doctor’s appointment and learn that their baby is going to be born with Down Syndrome. Bill immediately mentions “alternatives” to having the baby and tells Joann not to tell anyone about the diagnosis until they decide what to do. At the baby shower, a busboy with Down Syndrome, Taylor, breaks dishes while avoiding a small child and this prompts Bill to tell Joann that their baby “is not a miracle” but rather “a mistake.” Joann temporarily gives in, going to a community clinic but is unable to go through with an abortion, saying “I’m pro-choice and I’ve made my choice. I’m going to have this baby.” She then continues her pregnancy alone while the angels try to convince Bill to come to reason. At Andrews urging, Bill begins to reconcile with Joann but is unable to accept the child. Tess tells him that perfect souls do not come in perfect bodies and that “it’s not the packaging but the parenting” that will make the difference in a childs life.

As Bill is servicing a cappuccino machine, Andrew continues to try and reason with him. Bill says he wants a “normal” kid, tall and healthy, perhaps one who could be captain of the football team. An all American kid then walks in, pulls a gun and begins robbing the store. As he is exiting, Joann enters and Bill tries to take the gun from the all-star thief. The gun explodes and Joann is hit. At the hospital, the doctor tells Bill that Joann may not make it and asks him to give consent to operate to save the baby. Bill is torn when Taylor reveals himself as an angel. He tells Bill that fear is worse than Down Syndrome and that he should not be afraid of ruining his life by having the child or of not having enough love to give. “The child was born of love” and “what we do in love is never lost.” Bill signs the consent form and prays for his wife and son. Tess soon brings his healthy son into his arms. Joann continues to fight, eventually stabilizing and the family are united in love.