Ellis and Mallory first met at a bible study through a mutual friend. Mallory had been going to the young adults bible study at Falmouth Baptist Church for about a year every Tuesday night where she met Michael Rogers. Michael had also become friends with Ellis around the same time and as he got to know the two of them individually he realized, “Oh! These two would be good together.” He wasted no time in inviting Ellis to come one Tuesday night to meet Mallory, to which Ellis happily agreed. Mallory had no idea what was going on behind the scenes when this new boy walked in, but by the end of the study she couldn’t help but appreciate what he had contributed to the group’s conversation that night. They didn’t talk much one-on-one that night and didn't see each other for a little while since Ellis was going back to school in Amherst, so not much came from that initial meeting. Eventually, as Ellis would often come home on the weekends to attend church and spend more time with friends on Cape, they started seeing more of each other as their group of friends became closer. It didn’t take long for them to realize Michael was right, they were great for each other. Their mutual love for God, family, adventure and food brought them very close very quickly. Since then, they’ve enjoyed many adventures together and are looking forward to many more as they continue to grow and love each other better and better each day.

I initially thought she was very pretty and had a sweet way about her. She was quiet, but really pleasant and I wanted to learn more. As I talked to her, I found out she had been to a lot of different places and really enjoyed nature, traveling and the gym; all very green flags to me. She struck me as someone who wanted to get a lot from life and that really pulled me in. As I have grown alongside Mallory I have found her to be unflinchingly loyal, deeply compassionate, and tenderly loving. I admire her desire to grow and I wish to imitate her trusting love for the Lord. She continually shows me that she is there for me in all things, and her voice of support and love gives me strength every day. Her dedication to turning dreams into realities is an inspiration to me, and I am grateful to be a part of that dream.

Initially, I wrote off the idea of any type of relationship beyond friends even though I did think he was cute. The more I got to see him interact with our friends and heard about him from people I trusted, I eased up a bit and as I got to know his character more I really began to appreciate his love for the Lord. His passion for open minded debate surrounding nearly anything, but especially things of God, made me fall in love with him very quickly. I would walk away from conversations sometimes feeling challenged, other times feeling totally understood, but never feeling judged or condemned. I could see that he had so many qualities that I wanted to emulate and still do want to emulate. He was, and still is, patient, kind, gentle and loving. The way he walks motivates me to walk in a better way too. I also think he’s really funny.