The pandemic is behind us now, but story after story continues to pour in from the field, testifying to the zeal for SALT training in spite of great risk at the time.
 
In mid-2021, at the peak of the pandemic, widespread areas throughout East Asia were forced into lockdown. Large group gatherings were strictly prohibited, but even small group gatherings were unsafe to hold. As a result, many churches lacked spiritual feeding and dried up. Miraculously, a few bold churches defied the odds to pursue Bible study. CL was one such example.

It was during the height of the pandemic that a group of students at CL started the Three-Year Certificate Course. It only took 18 months for them to whiz through six courses. Think about the threats – as COVID raged on, it was not only easy to get infected but also prosecuted for convening or traveling. Yet intensive courses took place on average once every three months. It was even riskier for students to subsequently transfer the courses (in order to meet the program requirements). PTL nearly two-thirds (around 20 students) achieved this. Finally, after all COVID restriction measures were lifted early last year, students managed to finish up the remaining four courses and graduate.
 
Brother Wang, in charge at CL, reflects on the invaluable experience gained:
“We have never before received such systematic training, so this Certificate Course is of critical help to students and the church here. Believers are able to make great strides in their understanding of the truth.”

After completing the course, CL graduates will take on the responsibility to transfer each subject. However, Brother Wang expressed his concern with inherent problems at CL that make transference challenging:

“My hope is that all our students are capable of passing on the materials learned to benefit others in the church. To this end, I often encourage them to first digest the content. However, not everyone can master this, due to limitations in aptitude. This is especially the case if they hail from rural areas where poor educational foundations make transference difficult. Students from urban areas, by contrast, demonstrate more ease and capability in teaching and transferring courses.”

Brother Wang hopes that SALT training will enable students to first recognize their own limitations, understanding that this is where true learning begins. “These two and a half years of training are just the beginning; we are left in awe, and acknowledge our limitations:

1. Since we have never before received systematic training, our foundation is relatively weak.
2. Indeed, not many young people participated in the last SALT training, so we must redouble our efforts to attract the younger generations.
3. Although education has been strengthened within the region, there is still much room for improvement.

We implore you to continue training us to lay a better foundation of the truth, in turn to better transfer the truth onto others.”
 
CL is only one example that proves the huge need and hunger for Biblical teaching in East Asia. Join us in praying for God to raise up more teams to spread His truth in this barren land.