Sprite & Kristen Chuenchum

Sawasdee! We are the Chuenchums! Sprite was born and raised in Thailand and Kristen in Arizona. We met doing ministry in Bangkok in 2012 and were married in 2016. We just welcomed our first child, Asher, in July 2023 - so we’re now a family of 3! We have been loving and serving the poor in Thailand now for over 12 years. From grassroots ministry in under-resourced communities to advocating for good policy that helps children and families, it has been an adventure! Throughout our time in ministry we have remained deeply committed to making sure children in vulnerable situations are protected, cared for, and given every opportunity to grow up in a caring and loving family. But unfortunately in Thailand, being poor puts you at risk of being removed from your family. Thailand is facing an “orphanage crisis” - children have been unnecessarily taken out of their families and placed in orphanages all over the country because their family was too poor to meet their needs. We believe firmly that poverty should never be a reason a child is taken from his family! We are on a mission to help children grow up in loving families instead of institutional care. We’ve created tools and trainings that teach others practically how to strengthen a family living in poverty. We work to equip local leaders with those tools so they may walk alongside at-risk families. The work we’ve done all these years in communities has led us to believe and hope for resilient communities that help build resilient families who will then raise resilient children! Though our work is serious and important, we love to laugh, love the beach, and love good food (especially good Thai food!). Here on this page, we post longer-form updates for those who follow our work and have partnered with us in prayer or in practical support. We'd love for you to join us as together we make Thailand a safer place for children to grow up in communities!