Afterward, I spent time learning about the history of the missions in Baja. The Jesuits who came here at the end of the 17th century were not soldiers or settlers but missionaries, often educated men from Spain and Italy who volunteered for difficult assignments on the far edges of the Spanish empire. They traveled with little more than their faith and a few supplies, enduring long sea voyages, disease, and the stark conditions of the Baja desert.

What struck me is how much they relied on the local indigenous communities. The Jesuits often learned native languages, depended on local knowledge of the land and water, and built relationships that allowed them to survive in a place where resources were scarce. Their determination to plant a lasting presence here, despite isolation and constant hardship, is what made the early missions successful.