Accomplishing God’s Work by His Spirit
Dear Partners,
Firstly, we wish you all a joyous New Year of the Horse, filled with the abundant grace of our Lord.
In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes vitality, freedom, and the courage to press forward. For emperors and nobles, horses also represented power, status, and honor—the more horses one possessed, the greater the display of authority and influence. Yet the true nature of the horse tells a different story.
While horses indeed demonstrate endurance and speed, they are timid and sensitive creatures. At the first sign of danger, they flee. What people often mistake for bravery is, in reality, dependence on instinct. Thus, the power symbolized by horses is not something we can rely upon. As Scripture reminds us: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6) Pharaoh once commanded thousands of chariots and horses to crush the Israelites fleeing Egypt, but in the end, he was swallowed up by the Red Sea along with all his cavalry.
Together with Asian Development Ministries (ADM), our Hong Kong-based office, SALT has experienced this truth in fundamental ways. Despite challenging circumstances, for thirty years we have devoted ourselves to cultivating faithful workers in the vast mission field of East Asia. Even last year, under tight surveillance and limited resources, the Lord enabled us to reach our goals:
- Conducted nearly forty training sessions.
- Made progress writing the Philippians course and revising OT Survey, Part V: Minor Prophets.
- Nurtured several young people to prepare for the long-term growth of the ministry.
This is not merely the testimony of one year, but the repeated reality over three decades. We do not claim success—for the day of completion is still far away, and the Macedonian call continues to echo across East Asia. Yet within heavy restrictions, we have done our utmost, and the Lord has granted small but meaningful fruit. Most encouraging of all is that throughout the process, we have not relied on human strength or ability, but on the Spirit of the Lord to accomplish everything.
SALT to Dissolve. In John 3:30, John the Baptist said of Christ: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This has been our mantra regarding our East Asia coworkers: they must increase, and we must decrease—this is our calling. Five or six years ago, SALT began evaluating the possibility of East Asian coworkers becoming self-sufficient. After enduring three years of pandemic struggles and tightening policies, East Asian coworkers demonstrated courage, commitment, and responsibility. This convinced SALT that the time had come to finish implementing “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Thus, at the end of last year, it was decided that SALT would initiate the dissolution process mid-2026, with donations being accepted through 3/31/2026.
ADM to Continue Supporting East Asia. Throughout 2026 and beyond, ADM will continue operating and providing appropriate support to East Asian co-workers. Without SALT’s backing, ADM must shoulder the heavy burden alone, and challenges will inevitably increase. Yet we hold firmly to the Lord’s promise: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
May the Lord richly bless you throughout the coming year.
With Heartfelt Thanks,
The SALT Team