Kelly and Tricia met in Bellingham, Washington, in 1995. After Tricia graduated with a BA in English in 1999 from Western Washington University, they were married and moved to Portland, Oregon where Kelly planned to pursue a culinary arts degree. Their first year of marriage, out on their own in a new city, was extremely challenging and it was those challenges coupled with persistent anxiety issues that drove Tricia to call out to the Lord and submit her life to Him. Kelly and Tricia decided to move back to Bellingham to attend Cornwall Church and so Kelly could complete his BA in U.S. History, Social Studies and Political Science. After seeing first-hand how God was transforming his wife, Kelly also gave his life to the Lord in 2002.
The Huckabys served at their church as well as volunteering in the community at an adult family home for people living with HIV/AIDS. At that time God gave Kelly and Tricia a heart for Africa, the people there living and dying with HIV/AIDS, and the children being orphaned because of the disease. God also reinforced a longstanding desire of Tricia’s to adopt.
God eventually led Kelly and Tricia into high school ministry. While Kelly pursued his Masters in Teaching degree and Tricia coordinated a sexual abstinence program for teens they served as high school leaders at their church. Kelly and Tricia continue to enjoy mentoring high school and college-age students and cannot resist pizza and board games to this day.
Early in 2007 Kelly and Tricia spent four months in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where Kelly completed the student teaching required for his MIT. This was an exciting and valuable cross-cultural experience and Kelly and Tricia both felt that God was possibly preparing them for life outside of the U.S. Upon completion of student teaching requirements, Kelly and Tricia returned to Bellingham where Tricia gave birth to their son, Lucas, in August of 2007. After the joy of adding Lucas to the family, Kelly and Tricia began discussing and researching adoption and through that process God re-oriented their hearts and minds towards serving as missionaries in another country.
After many months of researching and praying, Kelly and Tricia sat excitedly in their seats at Oikos Fellowship in Bellingham where ACTION Zambia missionary, Steve Allen, was preaching. And boy did he preach! It was as if Steve’s words were a message for the Huckabys! Kelly and Tricia could not contain their energy after the service as they shared their hearts with Steve and then learned of an opportunity out at “the Farm,” or Ciyanjano. Just weeks later Kelly and Tricia were in Zambia to meet the team and there was no doubt that God was calling them to serve in Lusaka.
Personal Website » http://www.thehuckabyfamily.com