The first mission churches were usually simple bush chapels. They evolved into successively larger and more elaborate structures, typically over several decades. About a century ago, the first temporary chapel erected in1818 at Santa Ysabel was recreated to illustrate these early beginnings. Santa Ysabel was an asistencia or sub-mission established about 60 miles east of San Diego. The image shown here is a colorized rendition of a photograph made in 1905 of the bush hut, cross and hanging bells placed at the site of the first church. A replica of the adobe church was completed in 1924.