News From Peru

Because Peru is in the southern hemisphere, the rhythms of harvesting and planting are reversed. The IHM sisters have a large field that they plant in habas (a type of lima bean) and corn. The produce is used to supplement the diet of the girls who come to the House of Studies. This year’s harvest in May was plentiful with much seed corn and habas also left for the planting in September. Sister Norma was in charge of all the needed arrangements that go into putting the seed into the earth. The Quechua community is very protective of the land and water sources for each person's field. At set dates they release the water from the mountain which runs down channels into all the different fields. Amazing! Owners must be on hand to channel the water into the different rows—a lot of work which Norma and her father did with a couple of helpers. Then the field needs to be weeded and Norma gets a group of workers together to do this backbreaking job. Finally the community sends a tractor to plow the field, after which Norma again assembles a crew to plant. Now all that is needed is rain!

Sister Norma Poma Arpi with the bountiful harvest of corn