MIRACLE Story of Survival After Being Shot in the Face | Drew Anderson

Summary

SummaryI’m Drew Anderson, and I never imagined I’d go from feeling completely lost to standing in faith because of a life-changing, miraculous rescue. Born in Busan, South Korea, I was abandoned at a fire station and adopted by an American military family at age one. Growing up on military bases meant moving every year, making friendship nearly impossible. By middle school, I convinced myself it was easier to be alone than to say goodbye. 😔

My identity crisis led me into gang life, alcohol, drugs, and a pursuit of acceptance through dangerous avenues. At 24, living in the Billy Mitchell Apartments just outside of Port San Antonio, Texas, I thought I had things under control—until a night when three intruders showed up in my living room. One of them rushed me with a gun, and I tried to fight back…only to be shot in the face from just over six feet away. My neighbors found me, and I was declared DOA. My parents were called to identify my body. 🚨

But God had other plans. I woke up in the morgue, then spent months in ICU undergoing facial reconstruction and brain surgeries. My jaw was wired shut, so I couldn’t even speak to turn away the nurse who read Scripture to me every day, declaring, “God has a plan for your life.” Initially, I felt bitterness—how could God’s plan for me be positive when my face was shattered? But I honored the nurse’s request to give church a try once I was discharged.

The first time I walked into a San Antonio church with its lights, smoke machines, and LED screen, I wanted only to check a box. Yet when the pastor laid hands on people, I panicked—thinking they were dying—until he singled me out and repeated those same words: “Son, God has a plan for your life.” In that moment, I felt a shift so profound that I could finally cry. I raised my hand, surrendered, and knew that the desire for drugs, violence, and acceptance from gangs had vanished. 💔➡️💖

My life didn’t become perfect overnight—I still battle daily temptations—but I discovered a new identity in Christ worth pursuing. Reconciling with my family was hard; my dad scoffed at first, but over time even he stopped opposing my faith. My parents now rely on me for support, and though my dad isn’t a believer, he no longer opposes my journey. 🎉

I found healing and purpose through writing and music—outlets I used since childhood to express pain. Now, I steward those gifts to honor the God who saved me. Doctors still shake their heads at my recovery: wounds that should have left me dead are proof that what I couldn’t do, God did. I now fight spiritual slavery alongside the Lord, living bravely in the reality that with God, all things are possible. 🙌✨