Mission to the Mission

Our group woke this morning with the hope of heading to the water for a ride on Ben and Jill's boat. Alas, the winds were too strong and instead Paul took us on an adventure to San Javier. On our way to our destination we stopped at a petroglyph site in a beautiful little oasis complete with palm trees, a winding creek, and tiny minnows. Returning to the road ,we continued to drive up in elevation until the paved road ended and we passed the iconic pyramid looking mountain. Along the way we passed some quaint rancheros of modest means surrounded by fertile gardens and orchards even in this harsh desert landscape. After a little over an hour of driving, we arrived at the San Javier mission. A brief history, Mision San Javier was established in 1699 by the Jesuits. Today about 150 people live in this town containing one of the best preserved missions still around. After checking out the church we explored a little further until we found the gigantic olive tree pictured here which must have been planted around the time of the mission's establishment. Following this we had a nice lunch where we were able to hear about some of Paul's extensive travels and adventures across this planet.
Upon returning to Loreto, I took a run on the beach and met up with our group at the Internado where some of our members were passing out fresh baked cookies. The Internado kids have really warmed up to our team. And speaking of our team, I am so impressed with the level of leadership, creativity, and jest that each member brings. Tonight Jaycob facilitated a great reflection activity entitled tap someone who where each person was secretly acknowledged for their contributions. I'm excited to see the manifestation of this trip andcan't wait to see where Global Voice will go in the future.