Forty-six new International Mission Board missionaries were commissioned on February 1 to serve around the world. It may be a few months before they will arrive in their new country of service. Some are singles, some are couples, and others are families. God has called them all, and they are going in obedience to that call. Will you pray for them as they go to a new place, live in a new house or apartment in a new city or village, learn a new language and culture, learn to eat new foods, and possibly drive on a different side of the road? Pray for their safety always. Pray for their health. Pray for them as they say their goodbyes to family and friends and to their sending church family. Pray!

(suh-POHR-oh) - Please pray for the Japanese believers in Hokkaido to be rooted in their faith and walk firmly in their knowledge of the Word, being more influenced by Scripture than their own culture. Pray for great joy and gratefulness to overflow in their hearts and point unbelievers to the One who can satisfy the longing in their hearts. "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV).

(car-NAH-tuh-kuh) - On March 22, the people of Karnataka's celebration of the Ugadi, or New Year, will take place. Hindus celebrate this day in high spirits, drawing colorful patterns called "rangoli" on the ground outside their homes, eating traditional festive foods and sweets, visiting temples, exchanging gifts of new clothes, and giving to charities. The word "Ugadi" comprises two words that mean "age" and "new." Pray that a "new age" will truly come among the Hindus of Karnataka, an age in which the Lord stirs a mighty movement among the people, opening the hearts of many to salvation. May they sing a new song, one of praise to Jesus, and "put their trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:3 ESV). Pray that as Good Friday and Easter Sunday approach, many will hear the good news and believe, receiving new life in Christ and becoming new creations.

"She was called 'The Woman at the Well,' as that's where she heard about Christ and boldly, in front of every other woman there, expressed her desire to follow Him. With gladness she received the Word of God and claimed it as her own. Then word reached her family. They tried to kick her out of her house, and she remained firm. They disowned her, and she remained firm. They threatened her neighbors and her community around her, and she remained firm. After months of this, one day she fell ill. The family said that she was sick because of her decision to follow Christ. With a grieving heart and a tired body, she renounced her faith. She'd had enough. We wish there was a different ending to this story, and maybe it's not over yet, but this is the battle that so many face in northern Mozambique. Please pray for perseverance. Pray that when people receive the Word, it will be planted in good soil. Pray for 'The Woman at the Well,' asking that she will come to know Christ in such a powerful way that nothing will be able to hold her back from walking with Him."

A gospel-centered organization throughout the Nordic countries is preparing to launch a new website. Please join them in praying that the website will become a resource for local pastors and churches, offering wisdom and insight, cultural analysis, and encouragement for believers who often feel isolated in these countries. Pray for the organization's leadership and editorial teams, which include several IMB representatives, as they labor and ask the Lord to bless and build upon the works of their hands.

(n-GO-knee) - A majority of the Ngoni people are adherents of the Roman Catholic religion. If a Ngoni person chooses to follow Jesus through repentance and faith in Him as Lord and Savior and leaves the Roman Catholic church, he or she will often be threatened with separation from family and the community. Being separated from family and community is considered to be a great punishment in African culture. Ask the Lord to help new believers to have the courage to keep walking with Jesus in the face of that kind of persecution. Pray for the Lord to help the new believers to have family and community and support in the church. Ask Him to remind His people, the church, to be that family and community to new believers.

She struggles to enter the red double-decker bus with a double stroller and two screaming babies. One of the wheels of the stroller is broken, but using it is the only way she can manage to do the shopping for the week. She fumbles in her bag to find her bus pass. Onlookers, uncomfortable with what they see and hear, make no attempt to hide their displeasure. Amara can barely hear the children screaming and pays no mind to the disgruntled passengers. Her mind is far away, thinking of the days of her youth in Eritrea. She remembers gathering water from a ground well and bringing it back to her mother to wash the clothes. Before the days of war that now ravage her country, there was a simple peace, a stillness and familiarity. There was family. Now, she just has loneliness and duty and postpartum depression. Will you pray for Amara to experience the peace of Jesus amid deep sadness? "The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29:11 NKJV).

Many students in the Melting Cities do not know Jesus. Pray that, as they hear the gospel the students' hearts will be opened, they will accept the good news, and they will become disciples. Pray also that they will share the gospel in their hometowns after they graduate.

Please pray for pastors and church missions leaders as they form strategies to mobilize their churches to greater missions involvement. To equip church leaders in this goal, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College are hosting the IMB Globalization Team for their second "Eight Steps of the Missions Continuum" consultancy on campus March 23-25. May the Holy Spirit inspire all participants to expand their churches' participation in sustainable missionary service.

Give thanks to the Lord that a new family has arrived from language school to serve in Mexico City among the more than 20 million people who need to hear the gospel! Pray for the connections that this new family has begun to make with Mexican partners, and ask for their Mexico City Global City Team to work together for the furtherance of the gospel. Additionally, lift up a potential English as a Second Language (ESL) ministry at a local university, and pray for people in the United States to be called to partner with this team as a "digital nomad" in Mexico City.

Thank you for praying for the community groups hosted by believers for Afghan refugees. The women's tea community group has deepened relationally. Pray that the men's group, which has been sporadic, will get off to a good start this year in developing strong relational connections toward trust building. The goal for both the men's and women's groups is to build community together toward gospel sowing done in their social spheres of influence, not just extracting people for one-on-one evangelism and discipleship.