Family & mission
PERU & COLOMBIA FAITH. FAMILY. A PLACE TO BELONG.
LOVE HAS NO LIMITS.
Walking in love with children and families.
One life. One relationship. One day at a time.
WATCH WITH SOUND · 0:59
Walking in love with children and families. One life. One relationship. One day at a time.
LOVE GOD.LOVE PEOPLE.MAKE DISCIPLES.IT’S ALL LOVE.
REAL PEOPLE. REAL STORIES.
See love
in action.
LIVE SIMPLY. LOVE DEEPLY.
Every life deserves
a place to belong.
We walk alongside children who have been abandoned, people with disabilities, and families facing difficult circumstances in Peru and Colombia.
Our faith in Jesus moves us to put love into action—through a shared meal, a safe home, and a relationship that lasts.
Get to know our missionWe rescue abandoned and forgotten street children. We help provide a loving home to mentally challenged & physically disabled street kids providing self-worth, dignity and purpose. We help prevent child abandonment by embracing single Mom’s needs. We live to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Meet our Live Simply Family
🇵🇪 THE MENDOZA FAMILY: SERVING IN PERU 🇵🇪
Over 18 years ago, our family joined Charlie Craig (Mt Holly NC) for annual mission trips to the Amazon Jungle. Charlie's legacy lives on. Our Live Simply family is now serving in a small shanty town in Characato, Peru and Bucaramanga, Colombia living what we believe. We continue our journey serving the forgotten. We rescue abandoned street children. Live Simply for Orphans Peru and Colombia embraces the special needs community and physically disabled helping run a special needs orphanage and school. We love and evangelize families with disabilities, mental illness and special needs. In Colombia we serve in a local girls’ home providing a safe, temporary place of transition for 48 young girls rescued from extremely difficult circumstances, including girls from cartel-influenced areas and vulnerable young women who have come from Venezuela.
Ready to take the next step?
The Mendoza family is back on the ground serving in Peru! Sandro, Maisie, Steele, Niko, and Hunter are serving families, children with special needs, our local church, and sharing the hope of Jesus wherever God opens a door.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” — Mark 16:15
Pray for our family as we begin this new chapter and return to serve the children and families of Peru. We can't wait to share all that God has in store!
It’s All LOVE!
Sandro, Maisie, Steele (8) Niko (7) and Hunter (5)
LOVE TAKES MANY FORMS.
A little care.
A world of difference.
A SNAPSHOT FROM THE FIELD
Behind every number,
there is a person.
September 2026.
35
Children and adults at the
special needs home
76
Families receiving
food support
48
Girls supported at the
transition home
LETTERS FROM PERU & COLOMBIA
The story
keeps growing.
Update / October 12, 2026
They Called Us “Mom” and “Dad”—And Everything Changed.
Read the storyNow we know their names.
There are moments in ministry that stay with you long after you leave. This was one of them.
As we spent time at the orphanage, something happened that Sandro and I were not prepared for. The children began calling us “Mom” and “Dad.”
Those words carried a weight I don’t know how to explain.
Because for a child without a mom or dad beside them, those aren’t just names. They represent belonging. Safety. Someone who sees them. Someone who comes back.
And standing there, we felt the weight of the responsibility God has given us.
Before, they were children in an orphanage. Children we prayed for. Children we wanted to help.
But now we know their names.
We’ve held their hands.
We’ve heard their laughs.
We’ve looked into their eyes.
They know our names, and we know theirs.
And I can’t help but think that one day, when we stand before God, we will give an account for what we did with the people He placed in front of us.
It’s easy to care about “orphans” when they are a group of people somewhere far away.
It’s different when you know their names.
Jesus said, “I was a stranger, and ye took me in.” Matthew 25:35
We cannot be everything these children need. We cannot replace everything they have lost. But we can show up. We can love them. We can remember them. We can advocate for them. We can keep coming back.
Because now we know their names.
And knowing their names changes everything.
Update / October 10, 2026
Hope for Venezuela Kids Trapped in Fight Against Evil Cartels
Read the storyMy Colombian Dad has family in Venezuela near the Colombian border, in a region where children are growing up surrounded by poverty, drug cartels, armed groups and violence. In the middle of the darkness, a little street church is gathering forgotten children, giving them a simple snack and telling them about Jesus!
Live Simply for Orphans has embraced this little street church, and with your help, we intend to make sure these children are not forgotten.
Across the border, Colombia is intensifying its fight against drug trafficking and armed groups, including operations targeting coca production, drug-trafficking infrastructure and criminal organizations. Please pray for peace, protection and safety, and for the day when conditions allow us to personally travel there—to sit with these children, hug them and serve alongside this little church.
While evil fights for territory, this little church is fighting for the hearts of children—with a snack, a Bible message and the love of Jesus Christ.
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
— John 1:5
It’s ALL LOVE!
Update / September 22, 2026
OUR GIRLS TRANSITION & RESCUE PROJECT
Read the storyOne of the places closest to our hearts is a local girls’ home providing a safe, temporary place of transition for 48 young girls rescued from extremely difficult circumstances, including girls from cartel-influenced areas and vulnerable young women who have come from Venezuela.
Our greatest investment isn't simply what we can provide. It is our TIME. We want these girls to experience love, family, dignity, and most importantly, the love of Christ.
Your support also provides a full-time job for Tatiana, who came to this home at 16 and later earned her culinary degree. Today she serves as the home's pastry chef and pours back into the next generation.
Tatiana teaches our girls to make breads, pastries, and cookies while also teaching inventory, budgeting, responsibility, structure, and practical job skills. Someone who was once being cared for is now helping care for others.
Cristy and I are also able to spend time with the girls through devotions, after-school tutoring, art and cooking classes, and simply being present as family.
