THANKFUL & GRATEFUL story and photos by Nicole Williams
Mitchell Brantley
Mitchell will release his doves at the Veterans Park on November 11th.
WHITE DOVES OVER THE PEE DEE
“Mitchell has, with God’s guidance, learned how to share biblical lessons using his hawks and doves.” Not all heroes wear capes. That’s certainly the case with PDRTA bus driver and falconer Mitchell Brantley. Mitchell learned at an early age that following Christ and being persistent in his beliefs could help him positively impact those he came in contact with. Life has certainly brought struggles to his life. Mitchell has witnessed his father, two grandfathers, a grandmother, three uncles, two aunts, and a sister-in-law struggle and eventually lose their lives to cancer. These events encouraged him to create a mission by releasing doves during special events throughout the community. Mitchell got into falconry 13 years ago after meeting a young man flying a red-tailed hawk at a local park. “He was the youngest falconer in South Carolina at only 17 years old. That’s when I began investigating how I could become a falconer,” Mitchell explains. “Five years later, as I was flying my hawk at a local golf course, I ran into a golfer that asked if he could tag along with me. Turns out, this was the boy I met that inspired my newfound hobby.” Most recently, Mitchell added 12 doves to his flock that he refers to as The 12 Disciples. “My white doves are used to comfort those who have lost a loved one. The symbolism is that by watching the birds fly into the sky is like returning the soul of your loved one to heaven and our Holy Father, the Creator of all things,” Mitchell shares. “I reference 38
VIPMagSC.com
November 2021
them as The 12 Disciples who followed Jesus without second-guessing him. They dropped everything and followed because they were confident He knew the way. They later found out that not only did He know the way, but He was the way." (John 14-6) “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” Mitchell’s following of Christ is also shown in his day-to-day doings as a city bus driver. “While driving the bus, I’ve encountered a lot of broken people. Some with a place to go, some just looking to socialize. I’ve had the privilege of building relationships with these individuals.” The relationships become so connected that bus riders have considered Mitchell a Godfather to their children. One passenger even named her child after him, simply because he always treated her so nicely. The 12 Disciples, under Mitchell’s care, have already begun impacting lives. “My first funeral release was for someone a coworker who was a part-time pastor knew. Little did I know the funeral was for a baby that belonged to a woman I befriended on the bus. The doves helped this mother envision her child's soul being reunited with God,” Mitchell says. “Months later, a man in a convenient store told me thanks. I was unsure of what I did so I asked what for. He explained that he was the father of the child that had passed on that day of my first
