The Allen Hub
Our names are Richard and Caleigh Allen, and we are both 35 years old. We have been married since 2014 and have lived in Georgia (USA), Italy, and now Texas. Caleigh attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas and majored in Spanish. She also took prerequisite courses to learn about Physician's Assistants and minored in Bible, though she decided not to pursue PA school after all. During the fall semester of her sophomore year she studied abroad by way of the HULA program at Harding University. This immersion program took her to Chile, Peru and Argentina to learn more of a language she loves and to spend time studying alongside fellow classmates.
I, Richard, began my college career by attending Georgia Southern University but transferred to Arkansas State University in Jonesboro for the following spring semester to pursue football. Once at Arkansas State I began a Communication Studies major and successfully walked onto the football team, where I would play for the following year. I then decided against pursuing a football career to allow more time for family and ministry. I continued my Communication Studies major for my junior year, but after spending the summer interning at the Woodstock Church of Christ I decided to transfer to Harding University for my final year. After transferring I immediately submerged myself in the unique culture the university provided, as well as the change to become a Bible major.
A few days after finishing our four years of college we traveled across the ocean to serve as English professors at the University of South China in Hengyang, Hunan, China. This was coordinated by the China Now program Harding offers to its graduates. This is where we spent the next five weeks in ministry serving the college students through classroom teaching, personal Bible studies, and encouraging the saints already serving there.
During the next five years, Caleigh and I served in many different capacities in the metro Atlanta area. We have and continue to devote much time to personal Bible studies with various people, teach classes on Sundays and Wednesdays for different ages, been camp counselors during the Summer season, and coordinated and chaperoned various youth retreats and mission trips. Caleigh served as a guardian for two children while their mother was on military duty, for two years before making a big move I was employed at an alternative school for high-school and middle-schoolers where I was able to guide and help the students. Caleigh started her own business as a calligrapher, photographer, and crafter. I have written a novel addressing spiritual warfare in our everyday lives and am currently working on the sequel, and we have both been very involved with the youth and young-adults of many congregations throughout north Georgia.
In the Late Summer/Early Fall of 2016 we moved to Scandicci, Italy just outside of the beautiful city of Florence. We lived at the Bible school, brought about by the Avanti Italia program also made know to us through Harding University, as we taught English to those in the community while using the Bible. After 4 months of living there we moved to Rome, Italy where we worked alongside the church in various ministry capacities. We met lovely people as we traveled throughout Italy, as well as various parts of Europe, and we grew abundantly from the experiences we had while there.
During the Early Winter of 2019 we returned to the States with a souvenir, later to be named Ryland Webster Allen. I became a Youth Minister for the Mesquite church of Christ in Mesquite, Texas, and Wife is fulfilling her desire of staying home and raising our beautiful family. During the Summer of 2022 we welcomed a new addition to our kingdom, Finn Oliver Allen. We are thoroughly enjoying our time together and the work we get to do with the teens of Mesquite. There are quite a few projects that we have on the horizon, and we are looking forward to the people we will meet in the future. We can't communicate all of our love for all of the people we have already met along the way. If you have a part in our story then please know that we are thankful for you, and we wish you nothing but success and blessings in life.
We would love to get to know you as well!
Feel free to send us an email at: contact@theallenhub.com
or follow us on Instagram: @HuzandWife
