SAT-7 reunites best friends

Middle East (SAT-7) – [Editor’s Note: We’ve talked about the 10-year-old refugee, Myriam, who forgave ISIS on a SAT-7 video that went viral. In it, she said she wanted to be reunited with her best friend, Sandra. Now, SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, has brought them together over a video phone call. ]

They had been separated when Myriam’s family fled to Kurdistan and Sandra’s to Lebanon when Islamic State took over their hometown of Qaraqosh last summer. Neither knew where the other was.

SAT-7 first heard their story from Myriam, who was interviewed by popular presenter Essam Nagy (known to children as “Mr Know”) just before Christmas when he visited the camp in Ankawa, Erbil where she is living. Myriam expressed her great desire to see Sandra again, and Essam said he hoped SAT-7 would be with the girls on the day they met again.

SAT-7 then traced Sandra and invited her to come to our Lebanon studio to take part in Let’s Sing Together and talk to Myriam, who was watching the live programme in Kurdistan.

When Essam asked Sandra what she wanted to say to Myriam, Sandra replied: “I want to tell her I miss her so much and I want to see her so I can hug her. We want to go back to Iraq and see her, but there is no safety.”

Myriam responded with a prayer for Sandra: “Jesus Christ, I pray for Sandra, my friend. Please protect her and put in her path people who love her and appreciate her. I thank You, Jesus, that we are seeing one another again, even if not face to face. Amen.”

Essam said the encounter brought to his mind Psalm 8:2, “Through the praise of children and infants You have established a stronghold against Your enemies.” He said: “It was a very remarkable moment to watch this amount of genuine, true love speaking out of the hearts of kids to the whole world through SAT-7 KIDS.”

Essam’s first interview with Myriam, in which she expressed forgiveness for the Islamic State militants who drove her from her home, has been watched by millions around the world on social media.

Pray that their friendship and faith in Jesus will inspire other Christian refugees to find peace and joy in forgiveness.