Painted mural in warm colors: a woman reads a book with children under three arches, while a girl paints and a boy plays guitar. The people are illustrated and invented.

Mexico · Colombia

We don’t want children to just live their life.
We want them to love their life.

Become a sponsor

Cover one part of the program for a year: a mentor, English classes, or something a young person chose. A program, never a child.

See what you can sponsor

Give

Support the whole program, or a one-time project built to last. Our full budget is available on request.

See where gifts go

Resources

Twenty-one documents in Spanish for anyone caring for children. Free, with no email required.

Open the library
Apply as a site for funding

We can’t receive gifts until our bank account is open. Tell us you’re in, and we’ll write as soon as we can.

Love La Vida Foundation builds long-term development programs inside children’s homes in two countries — and publishes everything it builds, free, for any home that wants it.

From the home to a life they love

The path we are building for every child

  1. Ages 2–5

    Discover

    “I belong here.”

    English
    Songs, games and greetings
    Hands-on
    Play and helping at home

  2. Ages 6–9

    Grow

    “I can do things.”

    English
    First words and reading
    Hands-on
    Crafts, gardens and kitchen help

  3. Ages 10–13

    Explore

    “What am I good at?”

    English
    Real conversations
    Hands-on
    Projects and workplace visits

  4. Ages 14–15

    Prepare

    “I can picture life after the home.”

    English
    English for work
    Hands-on
    Kitchen, workshop and computer skills
    Independence
    From 15: learning to live on your own

  5. Ages 16–18

    Launch

    “I know where I’m going.”

    English
    Hotel and restaurant English, plus a certificate
    Hands-on
    Internships and a college or trade plan
    Independence
    Living in an independent dorm

  6. Ages 18–20

    Love life

    “I love my life!”

    English
    English that opens doors
    Hands-on
    College, trade school or a first job, with the same mentor

We don’t want these kids to just live life. We want them to love life!

These are God’s children. At every age, we support prayer, group prayer, reading the Bible and being close with God.

A painted woman and two children enjoy an open book together.
“Papi, I don’t want these kids to just go through the motions in life. I want them to love their life!”

Elvia Kimball, founder, in the small pueblo in Mexico where this foundation began

A painted woman points happily at a tall stack of books on a table.

The library

Twenty-one guides. Free.

Everything we’ve written for caregivers and directors, in Spanish, with no email required.

Open the library

Elvia and Scott Kimball together, both laughing
Elvia and Scott Kimball.

Who we are

We love life! We are active, we travel, we learn, we grow. All together!

Elvia Kimball was born and raised in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, and leads this work. Scott Kimball handles governance, capital and measurement. We speak Spanish at home every day, so we never need an interpreter.

Meet the founders

Volunteers repairing a painted mural wall inside a children’s home
Chiapas, Mexico, 2023. Scott’s daughter Rylie came with us and worked on that wall, shortly after finishing her third round of chemotherapy.

Real moments. Protected identities. Every photograph here is real. We do not publish images of the children we serve. The paintings are illustrations, and the people in them are invented.

Painted hands press soil around a young plant under the sun.

Where we are today

We are just getting started.

Our first home is in Chiapas, where we have had a partner since 2023. Colombia’s Caribbean coast comes next. No children have been served by a Love La Vida program yet.

See where we work

Three painted children laugh and play soccer.

Mission trips

Come and work. Then go play.

Next trip: Chiapas, March 17–22, 2027. $625 per person, with room, board and meals included.

See the trip details

Stay close

We are being built in the open

Love La Vida Foundation is being established now. We are not asking for money yet. If you would like to follow the work as it is built — including the parts that don't go to plan — leave your email.

We write rarely, and only about the work. Your address is never shared.