A young pastor shot while preaching on the street, was back in church last Sunday, his wife told social media.Hans Schmidt, outreach director of Victory Chapel First Phoenix in Arizona, was shot in the head while street preaching last November. The 26-year-old wasn't initially expected to recover, but has returned to his church, his wife announced on January 28.Zulya Schmidt published videos and photos in an Instagram post showing him smiling and playing the drums at their church."We serve a miracle working God. He walks, he talks, he even plays the drums," she wrote. "God has done an incredible work in Hans' life, and every day, he continues to improve. Please continue to pray for a full restoration."In a statement on its website, Victory Chapel First Phoenix called it an answer to prayer: "On November 15, 2023 Hans Schmidt was shot while street preaching on the corner of 51st Ave and Peoria." "Thank you to all who have shared your prayers, love, and support during this time. Our prayers have been answered!""We are rejoicing and thanking God for the miracle we have seen. Hans has been released from the hospital and is home with his family. Please continue to pray for this family as they navigate the road to recovery.""Thank you Jesus!"Schmidt, a former military medic who has two small children with his wife, was doing outreach before a Wednesday night service when he was shot."Single entry point on the side on the left temple. The bullet traveled through his brain. No one heard the shot or saw where it came from," family friend Brad Currell wrote in a GoFundMe campaign that has raised about US$80,000 for the Schmidt family."Police detectives reviewed the intersection video footage. He initially fell but got back up and was walking and talking but bleeding. No one had realized what happened at first. He had started seizures and vomiting, and they took him to the hospital."Fox News published video of the shooting. Schmidt was preaching alone at an intersection in the evening. He suddenly collapsed but stood up again in seconds.In December, Zulya Schmidt revealed her husband was making "stunning progress" but was still unable to speak. She previously told CBN News he wasn't new to street preaching."He's been doing that for over a year and usually he street preaches for 30 minutes before every evening service for our church," she said. "That day, he just ended street preaching early and I thought that was odd."She said her husband packed up the sound system and drove back to the church. She had not been told he had been shot and eventually noticed he was bleeding."I had no idea what really had happened," she said. "He drove our vehicle to the church (and) unloaded the sound system."Schmidt was later rushed to a local hospital, where doctors did not realize he had been shot until they did a CT scan and he became unresponsive. According to AZCentral.com, hospital personnel originally believed his injury was due to an assault, but later determined it was a gunshot wound. He was intubated after having a seizure and had fluid drained from his brain."My heart sank," his wife told CBN. "I just felt sick to my stomach."She recalled that doctors and investigators did not think her husband would still be alive today. She said neurosurgeons told her that because of the bullet's location in her husband's brain, it could not be removed.After the shooting, the pastor's wife heard a detective say, "We'll know more after the autopsy."
