Written by Joy Nguyen, TFS Intern
Chris Morgan is an amazing individual whose story and wisdom I recently had the privilege of listening to. He has been part of the team for the past six years and is currently our Resource Mobilizations Manager. He works with our institutional donors and provides crucial data about the activities that we do, the resources we use, and much more. An important part of our team, he also has an amazing life story and a fascinating journey to TFS.
What Brought Chris to The Freedom Story
Born and raised in Abilene, Texas, Chris graduated with a degree in Family and Child Services at Abilene Christian University. In the same month that he graduated, he married his wife. They both had wanted to live overseas and, as they prayed about different opportunities, they both sensed that Thailand was right! Two months later, in July 2015, the two moved across the globe to Chiang Rai, Thailand. Moving to another country was no easy feat. Amidst the language barrier and lack of internet in their home, they also had no social support system to rely on. This initial period was stressful, long, and hard – but also an act of grace. Moving to Thailand allowed him and his wife to “rely on each other more . . . and rely on God more.”
Through a connection with his church back at home, Chris and his wife taught at Chiang Rai International Christian School. As he completed two years of teaching, Chris felt that he had a different path in the future and knew he eventually wanted to work at a nonprofit. To do so, he knew that he would need to learn how to speak Thai. For the next year and a half, he attended Thai language school part-time. Looking back he said learning Thai was “the most intellectually challenging thing I have ever done.” Learning a new language involved embarrassment and required extreme humility and perseverance. However, for Chris, there was no greater place to learn a new language than in Thailand. “Everyone is so ecstatic that you’re learning their language. They’re so fast to help you, there’s never any condescension or ill intent.” Almost a decade later, he is proud of himself for having the courage to learn, fumble through, and practice Thai.
Going to language school was definitely “a pill worth swallowing,” as Chris put it. As he was looking for opportunities in the nonprofit sector, he touched base with Lucy, our CEO. As they chatted about different volunteering opportunities, he was able to join the TFS team. He was a natural fit, and over the years, his responsibilities kept expanding. Now, as the Resource Mobilizations Manager, he enjoys the opportunity to work with our institutional donors and help act as a go-between for the American and Thai offices.
How Work at TFS Aligns with Chris and His Family’s Values
When asked what his favorite part of working at TFS was, Chris immediately responded with, “Working in Thailand.” Not only do the Thai staff love and care for the beneficiaries, but they also care for one another. Chris loves how the Thai staff have maintained The Freedom Story’s caring culture over the past six years. He is especially grateful for how they love to spend time with his daughter. “The best way to show me love is to show my daughter love. TFS is so incredibly generous with their time with her. It’s an incredibly loving act. It’s a natural thing to feel connected with our organization.”
Another thing Chris values at TFS is our goal to give children the freedom of choice. Freedom of choice is directly related to the opportunities available in one’s life, especially the ability to attend university. TFS believes that the lack of freedom of choice is one of the root causes of human trafficking. “There are a lot of times where people can be more easily coerced into trafficking because they don’t have any options. Sometimes people think that prevention is only about raising awareness. But in all honesty, if their home situation doesn’t change, if their financial situation doesn’t change, if their educational background doesn’t change, they could be aware of the risk, and still potentially find themselves in that situation.” TFS is adamant about creating that freedom of choice through our scholarship program. Education is the key to opportunity. Many of us have benefitted from having an education, and therefore are able to choose. “I think on this side we’ve all benefited from that. Whether its geographic, whether its financial, we’ve all benefited from having the option to obtain an education that provides us freedom of choice. We aren’t put in a position where we can’t feed our family. The lack of freedom of choice is definitely [among] the root cause[s] of human trafficking,” Chris concluded.
Needless to say, The Freedom Story benefits greatly from Chris’s commitment to communicating with our institutional donors, managing our resources, and coordinating our American and Thai teams. Although his skills help keep TFS running, his passion, character, and love for people are what we love most about Chris. TFS’s impact on children, the community, and Northern Thailand would not be possible without Chris, all our incredible team members, and especially you, our supporters. Thank you for helping us to create powerful change and educational possibilities to combat human trafficking in the communities of Northern Thailand.
Joy Nguyen interned at The Freedom Story this summer and is currently studying Art and Spanish at Westmont College. From San Diego, CA, she loves to discover new boba shops and thrift stores. Joy also has a special place in her heart for Thailand where her sister and cousins live.
