November 17-19, 2023 "Gobbles & Grunts"

Rayden was invited to a weekend camping/hunting trip with the Gobbles and Grunts organization. He was beyond excited with the thought of actually killing his first deer. He asked at least 100 times a day how many days were left until he went hunting. I made him a paper chain so he would have a visual reminder to help him count down. I thought he was going to explode with excitement when we broke the final ring. 

We arrived at Rock Fish Meadows Christian Campground in Rose Hill around 4pm. It seemed to be a very peaceful place, off the beaten path, at least 15 minutes from anything. There were four cabins. Each cabin had 8 sets of bunk beds and 2 showers. Families were housed in the first cabin, closest to the mess hall. Women in the second, and men/boys in the third and fourth. We threw our things in the cabin and headed straight to the shooting range down the hill. 

There were lots of people already shooting targets and sighting in their guns. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming. We even met Rayden's guide, Will Holly. Rayden was thrilled to shoot his 6.5 Grendel but was overjoyed when he learned he could shoot any gun on the table! 

Later that evening, after a large dinner, Gobbles &
Grunts staff introduced themselves and matched the children with their hunting guides. They took a few pictures and gave each child a backpack full of prizes. They even received camouflaged hoodies and hunter's orange hats. Rayden was a little puzzled by the toilet paper though. 🤣 

The hunters had to meet for breakfast at 4am. I thought Rayden would have a hard time waking up, but I was totally wrong. This boy was more eager to get up than on Christmas morning!! With a bag full of snacks and drinks, they arrived at the hunting blind about 5:30am. I'm not sure who all went to sleep in the blind, but I know Rayden did. It's rather difficult for an 8yr. old child to sit still and quiet for very long, but Rayden did well. 

After sitting there for hours seeing absolutely nothing, Rayden was a little dishearten. All the hunters began to come back to camp for lunch, when Rayden noticed a Performance East sticker on one of the guides trucks. Will knew the owner, Taylor Williams, and asked if he would talk to Rayden. Rayden immediately recognized him from some youtube videos and asked if he knew Brayden Price, a celebrity youtube star. Taylor walked away a minute, made a phone call, and returned with Brayden Price on FaceTime. Rayden was so star struck. You can see him in this video rubbing his chest. I've never seen Rayden speechless before!! I asked him why he didn't talk to his favorite youtube star, and he replied, "My heart was beating so fast, I thought it was gonna explode!" Everyone thought Rayden would be upset because he didn't see a deer, but seeing Brayden Price prevented him from wallowing in that pity. He was on cloud nine all during lunch! 🤩 

 

During the lunch break, Rayden was able to ride the track chair around. He was a little uneasy at first, but it didn't take long for him to get the hand of it. He was even participating in races before break was over.   Mr. Ed Martin, from North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen, told me how to reserve one in the future. This was invaluable information. Imagine the doors it will open for Rayden, and the freedom it will give him to explore the outdoors the way he wants without fear of falling or getting too tired! I can't wait to reserve these chairs for Rayden, and I'm so thankful for Mr. Ed sharing the information. 💙

At 2pm, they all loaded back up to go hunting again. This time Will Holly took them to a different stand in hopes of seeing something, but it didn't work. Other children killed deer and bear, but Rayden didn't even see anything the entire time. He wasn't upset though. He was all smiles and had a BLAST just attending. 

The next morning we were treated to a fabulous breakfast and enjoyed a worship service in the outside amphitheater. Each guide and hunting team went on stage to talk about their experience and laugh at all the hunters that fell asleep. The children received a t-shirt and a framed picture of the weekend. They all signed a giant cross as well. It was a fabulous end to a wonderful weekend. We are so thankful for the opportunity to become a part of the family of Gobbles & Grunts. This organization is filled with amazing people who have the genuine love of God and share it with so many.