SAT-7's Debbie Brink says, "The longer this does go on the more we're going to have to think about contingencies." For now, their team is still in place, but no one knows how long they'll be able to hold out safely. "We may need to relocate some people from Beirut over to our studios in either Cairo or Cyprus. But that's going to be very difficult because they're nationals. They're not going to want to leave without their families."
That's a 'worst-case' solution, and a decision the ministry's leaders are loathe to make. For now, they're still producing their programs and using technology to get past the fighting.
That's produced it's own problems. Brink says being forced to utilize satellite technology to feed programs that used to be sent via ground transport costs them roughly $15,000 per week.
How long can they hold out? That's not really known. There are food supplies available, although not much in the way of variety.
Fuel shortages are a bigger problem, circumvented by SAT-7 via generator power. Their staff is resourceful, and Brink adds, faithful to sharing the hope of Christ...as are the other believers in the country.
With fellow Christian agencies taking in refugees, one message is becoming very clear. "Aid is coming through the Christian community and they're seeing the Christians as the people who can help; that's really encouraging. We're broadcasting that in our weekly live program that we are uplinking from Beirut, but people around the arab world are seeing Christians in action."
