In 1400 B.C., Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumbling down. Today, USC alumnus Thomas Franks is working to bring down walls of a different kind.

A media arts major with a concentration in film and video, the Lexington resident is helping to start a Christian television ministry in the Palestinian city of Jericho in the West Bank. Working as a cameraman and editor, he will produce Christian TV shows geared toward a worldwide audience through a Christian satellite channel.

“Pastor Karen Dunham and I had a meeting recently in Jerusalem with one of the head men of LeSea Broadcasting, the Christian satellite network that will air Living Bread's TV show Door of Hope in the United States to about 17 million homes to start with. We hope that the TV show will draw support for the church's ministry,” said Franks, who is a long-term volunteer for the project through the Living Bread International Church, which ministers to Arab Palestinians in Jericho.

“They liked the direction the program is going and gave us tips and details for the actual broadcasting of the show. I think we can start off by sending five shows to LeSea by April or May, depending on how things go. Broadcasting Living Bread's ministry—Christians reaching out to Arab Palestinians—has been a dream, a vision, and a hope for some time.”

Franks has been shooting video of scenery, places, people, and homes in Jericho, and he's in the process of turning the living room in the house in which he lives into a studio to shoot segments and commercials for the television show.

“It will look Bedouin, with low couches, Middle Eastern colors, and Middle Eastern rugs on the floor, walls, and even ceiling,” he said.

Although he's living in a Palestinian city in the West Bank, Franks feels safe in Jericho, even when he's driving with “no rules, no road signs, and no traffic lights.”

“We drive on the right side of the road, but other than that, that's about it on the road rules, except that you should honk your horn at all times possible,” Franks said. “It's a very freeing experience. Everyone should at least try it once. Also, I got a tape adapter for my CD player. So now, I can listen to Christian praise and worship music in the car while I'm driving. Of course, I'm probably the only one in his car listening to contemporary Christian praise and worship music in all of Jericho.”