This mission began nearly 25 years ago, when a seed was planted in the hearts of Marshall and Judy Hodges, a rural Virginia couple. At a revival meeting, Marshall was deeply moved by a speaker talking about the needs of children in Africa.
He planned a visit to Zambia later that year and “fell in love with the children.” He saw their reality firsthand: “They had no home and some were being abused on the streets.”
This wasn’t just an observation; it was a call to action. Judy Hodges used money from an inheritance to purchase a building. With funds from the Hodges family and their small church, Evangelistic House of Prayer, they renovated an old bottling and grocery store, and in 2002, the One Way Mission Children’s Home was born.
“When we started, the conditions there were rather primitive,” Marshall Hodges recalls. By the grace of God, what began in an old bottling store has grown into a sanctuary for 45 children, ranging from infants just one week old to young adults. Many of these children were rescued from trafficking, abuse, or found abandoned in dumps and pits. Here, for the first time in their lives, they are safe.
This safety is maintained by our dedicated Local Director, Loveness Sakala. Loveness began as a “mother” in 2003 and has led the home since 2014. Her commitment is the heartbeat of this mission.
In 2016, when a severe windstorm tore the roof off the orphanage, Loveness didn’t hesitate. She took all 25 children into her own two-room home, caring for them there for an entire year until the roof could be replaced. This is the spirit of love and resilience that defines One Way Mission.
As the needs of the orphanage grew, God began preparing the next generation of leadership to support the work from the United States.
Mike Radford had financially helped One Way Mission Children’s Home over the years, but because of his extreme schedule working all over the country, he didn’t have time to actually visit the orphanage when the Hodges invited him. In 2020, however, God spoke to Mike about giving Him his time. He began going on mission trips to Mexico and Nicaragua, where mission work became his passion.
“God brought thoughts of One Way Mission Children’s Home back to my mind, and in 2023, Kim and I began visiting the Hodges to learn more about the orphanage,” Mike says.
In August 2025, Mike and his wife, Kim, traveled to Zambia to see the needs for themselves—the first visitors from the United States in nearly 10 years. They found a home filled with 44 beautiful children but facing significant challenges with infrastructure and funding.
“We fell in love with the children, the people, and the country,” Mike says. “We decided to start the non-profit One Way Mission for Zambia Inc. as soon as we returned home.”
As our home has grown, so have the needs. One Way Mission has obtained 600 acres of land, which we affectionately call “The Farm.” The ultimate vision is to move the orphanage here, which would allow the mission to become “more self-sufficient.”
The children will learn valuable life skills working with animals like oxen, cattle, goats, pigs and chickens on the farm, as well as working the land to grow maize and produce in large gardens.
This large living space could also serve as a school, church and a clinic area.
Our plan is to collect enough donations to supplement the orphanage’s budget, while renovating the original building to liveable standards. Once we achieve these goals, we will start the process of planning and building on The Farm.
Separate male and female dorms
A large home with a kitchen, a school, and a clinic area.
A place where children will learn “valuable life skills.” They will work with animals, grow maize and produce in large gardens , and harvest fish from a future pond.
The native people, who have lived on these tribal lands for centuries but are now being displaced by new owners buying the land for large farms, will be welcome to remain on the mission land and help the children work on the farm.