I am Wesley Markham, and this is my story of why I decided to embark on the World Race and what I have been doing leading up to it.

In the summer before my senior year of high school, I went on my first international mission trip to Costa Rica. Just prior to that, my older brother had returned home from his own World Race journey. While in Costa Rica, I worked alongside local missionaries Beth and Bryan Tatum, as well as a local mission group called Conexión. We spent our days in schools and churches, playing with the kids and teaching them about Jesus. Near the end of this trip, I felt a clear call to do more—I knew I wanted to go on the World Race.

Soon after, I applied and started the acceptance process. The route I initially chose closely mirrored my brother's: Thailand, Malaysia, Albania, Guatemala, and Honduras. About halfway through the fall semester, a foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic came to live with us. Just two weeks after her arrival, I received an email that my World Race route had changed. The new countries on my path were Thailand, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Greece, and Guatemala.

In late October, a devastating hurricane hit Jamaica. At the time, I was still finishing up high school, so disaster relief didn't seem like an option available to me. Fast forward to Christmas break, right after I finished high school. My dad asked if I wanted to go to Jamaica to help out with disaster relief. I immediately said yes, and he told me we were leaving in a couple of weeks.

On January 17th, we headed to Jamaica for what was planned to be a one-week trip. We worked with Adventures Relief, serving as part of their very first organized group on the ground alongside missionaries Malachi Schroeder and the Horvath family. Because we were the first team there, a lot of our work focused on base upkeep, but we also started rebuilding a house in the community. As my week was wrapping up, I talked with some of the leaders and decided to stay for an extra week while my dad headed home. That second week brought a new wave of volunteers, allowing me to hear more incredible stories and work alongside even more people.

After returning from Jamaica, my heart was eager to go back. I got in touch with one of the leaders and planned a return trip for April. During that week, I gained confidence traveling independently, learned how to rebuild roofs, and grew deeply in my relationship with God—even leading a devotional one of the days.

When summer arrived, my mom and I traveled to Guatemala with members of Living Hope Baptist Church. This trip was unique and deeply meaningful. We helped put on "Camp Guamiski," a summer camp designed specifically for missionary kids living in Guatemala. Ranging in age from 8 to 16, some of these kids grew up in Guatemala, while others had recently moved there. I quickly learned how vital this week is for them—a rare chance to just be kids with no translating and no working required. It was also an incredible preview of Guatemala, one of the countries I will visit on the World Race.

Right now, I am in a season of preparation for the nations. A huge part of that preparation involves fundraising and building a team of supporters for this journey.

That is where you come in. You can partner with me through financial giving or through prayer—praying for my personal growth, protection, health, and steadfastness against temptation. Any form of support means the world to me and brings me one step closer to sharing the gospel with the nations!