Family Profiles

Blessings, We Are

Sarah & Elliot

Meet Us

We are Elliot and Sarah. We’ve been happily married for six years. We met on Christian Mingle October 2015.

Our first date was supposed to be bowling, but due to a series of fortunate mishaps, we ended up walking around the neighborhood, having lunch, getting to know each other…and falling in love! On Sarah’s 28th birthday 7 months later, Elliot proposed with nested boxes, each with different candies inside, and a Ring Pop in the last one. We were married six years ago on Sarah’s parents’ 33rd anniversary. Since then, we have grown closer and built our relationship with God in the center. We are committed to marriage for a lifetime and believe in “until death do us part.”

About Elliot (By Sarah)

Elliot was born in Fargo, North Dakota in December 1980. Growing up, Elliot practiced Taekwondo and enjoyed reading fantasy and sci-fi, but he also attended Sunday School and spent summers at Church camp where he had the opportunity to bond with other believers through worship services, kayaking and outdoor sporting activities. Shortly after graduating high school, Elliot joined the Army as an Airborne Ranger where he parachuted out of airplanes, fast roped out of helicopters and trained on a variety of small arms. After serving our country for four and half years, he was honorably discharged in 2003. He attended North Dakota State University and graduated with a Business Degree in 2008. Still a student, Elliot was recruited to join up with a multi-billion dollar company (which we still partner with today). In his free time, he maintains his skills in Aikido and Taekwondo, which he has black belts in.

About Sarah (By Elliot)

Sarah was born in Visalia, California in May 1988. Growing up, Sarah participated in band and orchestra playing trombone – just like her granddad and mom. She started playing harp after seeing it performed in a symphony orchestra for the Nutcracker Ballet. She thought it looked cool and sounded angelic. She also enjoyed Sunday school and singing in the Church choir. Today, Sarah still loves playing the harp and singing during church, with the radio and with her students in the classroom. Sarah graduated from California State University East Bay in 2009 with a degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology where she learned how speech/language develops and how to support delays. She also has a special education teaching credential which allows her to help 7th and 8th grade students acquire communication skills and become accomplished in Science, Math, English and History. Sarah has a loving heart.

Our Home and Neighborhood

Our condo is in a safe and gated community with a diverse population and a grassy courtyard that attracts many of the neighborhood's little ones. We have multiple shopping centers and ethnic restaurants nearby and are a five-minute drive from our mission-based church. Being in the Bay Area, we attend concerts in the park, ride paddle boats in nearby lakes, hike and bike along well-manicured trails and happily visit tourist landmarks (Golden Gate Bridge), the zoo and the aquarium.

From hiking to Holi to Halloween dancing, from painting to chocolate-making to hot air balloon rides, here are just a few of our unforgettable experiences.

Our Families and Traditions

Our families check in and encourage us every step of the way -- including Thanksgivings in Sacramento, Christmas Eve church services and gift giving and Church camps on the lake in the summer.

A few things we look forward to with our family are:

Lots of kids and furry friends: Between Sarah's sister and Elliot's 3 siblings, there are 7 kids between the ages of 2 and 11, and 5 dogs!

Homework help: Sarah and her sister are both teachers, and their parents are also retired teachers!

Service: Grandpa (Sarah's dad) enjoys playing Santa Claus during Christmas to collect toys for children in need!