Now that you’ve met Aaron, Jake, Katherine, and Katy, we want to introduce you to our gallivanting, pillow-fighting, goat-eating marketing director, Courtney Baker.

Courtney was once knocked out… in a rather unusual way. No, it wasn’t while she was playing tennis at Union University. And it wasn’t even at a youth function at church, although her husband of nine years is, in her words, a “hot youth pastor.” No, actually she was knocked out during a rather intense pillow fight!

Hopefully she’s found some softer pillows since then, at least for airplane rides.

A Middle Tennessee native, Courtney doesn’t often stay put—she’s been to Africa three times in the last 12 months (and it won’t be long before she heads back again)!

She’s been to visit all of Blood:Water’s partners but one. And as you might imagine, each trip has been full of memorable experiences, starting with the very first night, on her first trip to Africa. On this particular day, she met a lovely goat. Unfortunately for him, he became dinner later that night!

But as lovely as the goat was, it was on a later trip when she met a much more inspirational friend. Albert, affectionately dubbed Alfred during their time together, shared with Courtney and the crew she was traveling with about the genocide in Rwanda. His story was impactful and inspirational.

Courtney says Albert was one of the most Godly men she’s met. After everything he experienced, he was able to process and forgive. His life is an awesome example of loving well, even when it would be easy to hate. He now works with our partner on the ground in Rwanda, leading small groups before water projects start in the communities.

The time they spent together was so impactful, in fact, that two of Courtney’s travel partners got tattoos to represent the trip on their way home. They just didn’t happen to mention it to Courtney… until this week!