A L Y S S A
Instead of writing about myself, I had some of my girls on Team Esther write about me. Their words are really freakin sweet and made me wanna cry a little. I love them a lot. Enjoy!
Alyssa, you’ve taught me the beauty of silence. You are an observer, a deep thinker, and a lover of the simple things life offers. Thank you for teaching me, encouraging me, and loving me all the while.
Lyss is hands down the most intentional person I know and has a true heart of God. She has put up with me during one-on-one time, made the silence more awkward, and enjoyed my uncomfortableness and weird actions during these special times. The way she devotes herself to be our leader for 3 months is from a place of true selflessness and a desire to grow in the Lord. I love her so much and all she brings to the group.
I’m a person that can speak a lot. In the beginning of the race, I would take Alyssa’s silence as either anger or sadness – so, you can see how worried I was about her during the first few weeks on the field. One day while our team stopped to get a croissant, Alyssa looked at me and said “Cami, you don’t have to ask how I’m doing to keep me around. I see you, love you, and care for you a lot, and I want you to know I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to DO anything to be my friend.” Every time I come and talk to Alyssa, she will say one sentence or ask one question, and I have to put my glasses on to look for my JAW ON THE FLOOR. She speaks truth with #noragrets. She makes me feel really special when she goes out of her way to affirm or speak love into a situation. If you know Alyssa, you know that her words are few, & her love is big.
alyssa mcgrail
adventurous
God loving
intentional
these are the words I think of when I thing of alyssa, or as I like to call her, shalyssa. this amazing woman is my team leader. she challenges me, she inspires me, and she does not stand for evil in any way. she is filled with authority, and she is transformed by the spirit. she’s one of my favorite people, and she understands me more than most, even though she thinks I’m a weirdo. i love u lyss.
I’m really thankful that I get to be a part of Gap V. Through it, the Lord has challenged me a lot and taught me some super hard things.
WHAT’S MY ROLE? Alumni Team Leader. There are anywhere from two to four team leaders on each gap year squad, all of whom have done the world race gap year before. They’re anywhere from the ages of 19 to 21. Their role is to form intentional relationships with the Racers, run team times, work side-by-side with their team during ministry, and provide guidance for assimilation into “world race life.”
What I believe I offer people:
I really love to listen. Because I take the time to sit with people and empathize with them, it gives me perspective. I then get to offer people the perspective I gain from listening to them. It’s one of my favorite things to point things out to people that they have a hard time seeing in themselves. When I notice small things and choose to speak them out in love and truth, it makes people feel really seen and known.
Thanks for keeping up with this series. Our squad leaves for our 30 hour bus ride to Peru friday night. I’m excited (and equally nervous) for what my third (and final) month of team leading will bring.
