Danely’s Story

Danely’s first experience with Vagabond was at a block party they hosted. Her brother had been a regular at our programming and she also became drawn in through the loving and trusting atmosphere that the missionaries cultivated. Our youth center has now become a safe home for her, where she can confide in the missionaries. “There’s not a lot of people you can trust in this world,” she laments. “It is everything.”

Leading up to the Vagabond weekend retreat in March 2024, Danely had been suffering some very difficult circumstances, including being bullied and grieving her uncle’s suicide. She was looking for a way out of the “dark hole” in which she had found herself stuck.

That year, the staff discerned it would be fruitful for the teens’ phones to remain off for the duration of the retreat so they could truly immerse themselves in the experience and enjoy nature, grow closer with each other, and encounter God. This request was met with some groans, but afterward the teens agreed that it had been good. Danely was one of those teens who realized the benefits of an off-the-grid weekend. Without the distraction of TikTok and other social media, Danely turned to her notebook to write out all her feelings and she shared her feelings with her missionary Emma. “You experience more things just not beIng on your phone,” she reflected afterward. “Social media is a distraction from thinking about God.”

She has since been attending Mass and other retreats with the missionaries. They’ve helped her to “let go and let God.”