News from Lori's Parents

16 December 2002

In this update:

Two days late - but Mark finally gets to see Lori

The Thursday, December 5 snowstorm stranded Mark at Newark Airport for 33 hours and when he arrived in Lima on Saturday morning his luggage (full of supplies for Lori) was still in Newark. Unable to visit Lori on Friday or Saturday (the usual permitted days for male visitors), Mark was thankful that prison authorities allowed him to visit on Sunday (a day usually reserved for female visitors).

Lori was in excellent spirits and looked forward to reading the hundreds of letters and cards in English that Mark had brought her. Unfortunately, the six books Mark brought her in English were not permitted.

Mennonite Weekly Review discusses Lori

The December 9 issue of the Mennonite Weekly Review (MWR) published an article about Lori, "An Innocent Voice from Peru," written by Kathleen Kern of the Christian Peacemaker Team. The article appears on the website.

We are very grateful to Paul Schrag, editor of MWR, for this publication and to the Mennonite community for its support.

Washington DC fundraiser for Lori packs Potter's house

On Friday evening, December 13, a folk music fundraiser for the Committee to Free Lori Berenson (CFLB) was organized by Katie Roberts, assistant to the National Organizer, who not only organized the event with her music-playing friends, but played the guitar and sang as well. Joining her on stage was fellow human rights activist and songwriter, Mary Shapiro, and Cletus Kennelly, a local folk singer.

During the evening, Laura Furst, the National Organizer of CFLB, spoke to the audience about Lori and the work of the Committee.

Remembering Scott Douglas

Scott Douglas, a volunteer at the National Office, succumbed to a long battle with AIDS last week. At our fundraiser in June, Scott read a moving poem about Lori and spoke about parental love in the Berenson family and in his own family. Scott will be truly missed. He worked tirelessly for our Committee as well as for a number of other causes aimed at alleviating the suffering of others.

We send our heartfelt condolences to Scott's family and friends.

- Rhoda and Mark Berenson