Alex Gonzales

Blog #1

Preparing for a school or church trip is simple you need supplies. Preparing to go around the world to serve Jesus is a whole different type of prep, as it takes all of your time, energy and effort. This isn't a summer camp, and we aren't here to have bonfires and eat s'mores. Sure we're here to connect with each other to build a good team dynamic and a good team chemistry, but our overall goal isn't to have fun or adventure but to go out and humbly serve others. The first wake up call for me was yesterday when everything was organized and detailed. You learn very quickly to be on time or to do push-ups. This is hard work and should be treated as such. This isn't easy, nor is it supposed to be, your mind can't be elsewhere, you have to stay intensely focused. It was a shock to my system not to have a phone, even though I'm never really on it at home, however the amount of times I've reached for my pocket or looked in my bag to check for a text or otherwise is crazy. You want to talk to the people back home that are your friends and family but you can't, and for a good reason they want you to stay focused. This is a job, there's a reason it's called internship and not super north side Nashville fun time. It is at the end of the day interning as a missionary, and boot camp preps us for that. It requires all of your effort and focus.