Lebanon (MNN) – Recent Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed 17 people. The Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah stated it also carried out more attacks on Israeli troops in the region.
Explosions in Lebanon. (Photo courtesy of SAT-7)
As fighting has continued in recent months, more than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced.
John Cerniglia, president of SAT-7 USA, says, “Keep in mind, in Lebanon, you’ve got about 5.8 million people – that’s about the size of Metro Atlanta, just to put this in context here in the United States. Twenty percent of them…have been displaced in recent weeks, particularly on the southern border between Lebanon and Israel.”
Sharing Hope with Displaced Children
SAT-7 broadcasts Gospel hope via satellite television across Lebanon. Their program, You Are Not Alone, recently featured an episode made by kids, for kids fleeing the violence.
“Our program was centered on children who are being kept at a youth home where they’re provided with food and clothing,” says Cerniglia.
“We have the opportunity to share the Gospel, Good News, with children and with content that is appropriate for them – just reminding them of the biblical truth that you’re not alone.”
The families sheltering at St. Anne Youth Home are hoping to return to their homes in the south when the conflict ends. (Photo, caption courtesy of SAT-7)
Another one of the ministry’s most powerful recent projects came together under extraordinary circumstances. “We have a children’s song that was created by our Beirut team…and it’s called Your Peace, Jesus, Is Our Joy,” Cerniglia says. “It was literally recorded while bombs were falling across Beirut.”
The response surprised even SAT-7 staff.
“Children who were watching it were so moved by it, they started calling into our studios in Beirut and began singing the song back,” he says. “This message is spreading that you can have peace in Jesus even when there is no earthly peace.”
Requests for Prayer
Please pray the encouragement of Psalm 46 over displaced families and children: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Ps. 46:1)
Cerniglia reflects, “This has become a bit of a rallying cry for our brothers and sisters…living in Lebanon. That’s what we try to convey, of course, to all people, including children.”
Learn more about SAT-7’s ministry at sat7usa.org.
Header photo courtesy of SAT-7.
