On October 20, 2012, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Korea rejoiced when their renovated and newly built branch facilities were dedicated to Jehovah. The event was especially meaningful because the brothers were able to look back on 100 years of faithful service. Moreover, in 2012, the number of publishers exceeded 100,000 for the first time. Some 1,200 local volunteers and 239 international servants and volunteers from nine countries worked to construct a new residence building, a printery building, audio/video studios, and a vehicle repair garage. In addition, most of the existing buildings were completely renovated.

Anthony Morris, a member of the Governing Body, presented an encouraging dedication talk to the 3,037  brothers and sisters in attendance. The next day, a special meeting was held in a large exhibition hall, and over 1,300 congregations in Korea were tied in through the Internet. A total of 115,782 Jehovah’s Witnesses and interested ones enjoyed the delightful spiritual program.

March 9, 2013, will long be remembered as a milestone in the history of Jehovah’s worshippers in Liberia. Visitors from 11 countries assembled for the dedication of the newly renovated and expanded branch office. All were thrilled to hear the dedication talk delivered by Guy Pierce, a member of the Governing Body. After more than a decade of civil conflict had delayed the planning and construction, the branch was expanded to include adjoining property that had formerly been used by rebels as a hideout and refugee camp. The 51 members of the Bethel family rejoice to use the 35-room residence, renovated office building,  new shipping warehouse, new maintenance building, and new kitchen and dining room.

The Republic of Georgia is home to warm, spiritually inclined people. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, an extraordinary period of theocratic growth ensued, followed by a period of severe persecution. The opposition has largely subsided, and a major milestone in the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Georgia was reached on Saturday, April 6, 2013, when David Splane of the Governing Body delivered the dedication talk for a renovated and enlarged branch complex, an Assembly Hall, and a new Bible school facility for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers, as well as the School for Traveling Overseers and Their Wives. A total of 338 guests from 24 countries joined more than 800 Georgian Witnesses for the dedication program.

The following day, 15,200 enjoyed Brother Splane’s special talk by audio/video tie-in to congregation meeting places throughout Georgia. This international event was very moving for many. One young brother said, “Now I know what the new world will be like.”

On June 29, 2013, a new three-story office building at the Bethel facilities in Yangon, Myanmar, was dedicated. Guy Pierce of the Governing Body gave the dedication talk to an audience of 1,013 that included guests from 11 other countries. The group of Myanmar brothers and sisters assigned to welcome these guests at the Yangon International Airport were approached by a man from a country where the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is banned. He pointed to the “Welcome Jehovah’s Witnesses” signs that they were holding and asked, “Are you welcoming witnesses for some kind of  court case?” “No, we are welcoming our friends,” they replied. “So who is this Jehovah?” the man asked. Needless to say, the brothers and sisters gave him a fine witness. The day after the dedication program, a special meeting was held at the Myanmar Convention Center, where Brother Pierce spoke on the subject “Serve Jehovah With an Understanding Heart.” The program was tied in by telephone to six other locations throughout Myanmar, enabling a total of 2,963 to hear the timely information. One of the bus drivers who drove a group of local brothers and sisters to the special meeting in Yangon remarked: “I notice that you people are entirely different from other religions. You are well-behaved, well-dressed, and very kind. I have been driving bus groups for many years, but never have I seen such decent people!”

Jehovah’s loyal servants in Moldova had good reason to rejoice on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, when Stephen  Lett of the Governing Body gave the dedication talk for the newly expanded branch facilities. The expansion includes a three-story building with a literature depot and ten residence rooms, as well as a two-story Kingdom Hall, which is being used by seven congregations. The 33 members of the Moldova Bethel family were happy to welcome visitors from Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. Also in attendance were a number of brothers and sisters who served Jehovah faithfully while the work was under ban, some of whom helped to copy and distribute literature during that time. Among the attendees were many who had been deported with their parents to Siberia during the various campaigns against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the former Soviet Union. On Sunday, Brother Lett gave a stirring talk that was interpreted into Romanian and Russian for an audience of 14,705—the largest gathering of Jehovah’s Witnesses ever held in Moldova.

Jesus emphasized that we should ‘pray and not give up.’ (Luke 18:1) When you express yourself in prayer, you fortify your hope. Hence, “pray constantly,” yes, “persevere in prayer.” (1 Thess. 5:17; Rom. 12:12) As you do so, “may the God of peace . . . equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in [you] through Jesus Christ what is well-pleasing in his sight.”—Heb. 13:20, 21.