Wilmin Noel is a Bahamian public servant, youth mentor, and community leader dedicated to empowering young people and strengthening communities through service, mentorship, and opportunity.

Born and raised in Englerston, New Providence, Wilmin understands firsthand the challenges many young people encounter. Those experiences inspired his lifelong commitment to helping others discover purpose, overcome obstacles, and become positive contributors to society.

In 2017, Wilmin co-founded the Guided Steps Youth Empowerment Program, an initiative focused on mentoring young men, promoting conflict resolution, encouraging personal development, and connecting participants with employment opportunities. Through mentorship, faith-based guidance, and strategic partnerships, the program has positively impacted the lives of many young Bahamians.

Wilmin currently serves in the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, where he contributes to national initiatives and supports the work of government through public service. His experience has strengthened his leadership, organizational, and community engagement skills while reinforcing his commitment to serving the people of The Bahamas.

As a devoted father and mentor, Wilmin believes that true leadership is rooted in integrity, compassion, and consistency. He is passionate about investing in the next generation and creating pathways for young people to reach their full potential.

With a heart for service and a vision for stronger communities, Wilmin continues to dedicate himself to youth development, nation-building, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Personal Motto:

"From the Streets to Purpose."

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Your donation helps us produce new episodes, reach more listeners, and continue meaningful conversations with Jesus Believers around the world.

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Welcome to 12 Minute Convos with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, His creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you Wilma.

It's a great pleasure to connect with you.

What part of the world are you in today?

I'm actually in the Bahamas.

I believe you're the first Bahamian that we've had on the 12 Minute Jesus Believers, yeah?

So really, congratulations.

I appreciate you coming through representing the Caribbean, yeah?

Tell us what that looks like, the work you do with young people.

So I came from a background.

I was a very hard-headed young man.

Normally, we say the young in the Caribbean that didn't like to listen, and I got myself in problems.

And I realized that getting myself in problems, and then changing my life through the grace of God, giving God my life and changing my life to be better, was such a beautiful change.

Because, you know, although I've made mistakes, I went to prison, but as soon as I decided to change my life, God rewrote my story, right?

But he continued to keep the testimony, but he rewrote it.

And so, like for me in particular, I was able to reach out to young men and other young men who were actually getting themselves in problems.

We would go to the schools and do mentorship classes for about a year.

And then we would chop on another school.

We would go on the streets, and we would like, like if you have a problem with this kid from this block, we would come together and see how we can smash, what we would say, smash those beefs and those quarrels, and sit down and go to church every Sunday, you know, and then like break bread together, like show love together.

Because majority of times, they just need a second chance.

So one of the main reasons why we started this young men mentorship program, because I believe that young men, especially in this country, deserve a second chance.

Majority of the reasons why they do what they do, if you hear about it, it's an easy fix majority of the times.

And I believe that once we could come together and make those things happen, like we will have a better society expression in the Bahamas.

What were you incarcerated for?

So I was incarcerated because my temper, I would say, you know, it was a situation that happened.

My sister, she, I had already left at home,

and then she came, and then it was a situation that happened

where she called me, and then she told me that she was in this fight,

and then the neighbor was in the same fight,

and then I saw this guy approach her,

and then when he approached her, he was approaching her with a knife,

and then I got the stick in self-defense,

but it happened when it happened crazy, you know,

but I, like I said, it was no fights,

it was no fights, but it wasn't nothing,

and then I just got charged for,

I got charged for grievous harm, disturbing the peace,

but I promise you, I was innocent, but I went to jail.

Now, this jail story is where the beautiful testimony came in.

Yeah, tell us.

Most definitely.

So, I was a young man growing up in what we would say the hood, you know, and I had a high temper, right?

Where I could have walked away from that situation,

I decided to make my mark like I would always do,

and then after that situation happened,

got arrested, and I had that court for like probably two years,

court just kept on getting adjourned,

kept on getting adjourned, kept on getting adjourned,

but while court is getting adjourned,

I'm still trying to still get my life together,

and I'm like, okay, well, this doesn't seem the way to go,

but anyways, move forward.

So, the final day of the adjournment is when the lady looked at me and she was like, you know what?

No, we can't, we can't really send you, send you free like that.

Day of the night, incarcerated for six months to come back to their sentence.

I'm like, what?

And this time, I was really trying to get my life together.

I ran back to school because I had got, previously got kicked out of school from high school, so I ran back to school to try and get my life together, and the day I was doing my final exams, I got sent to jail.

So, I'm like, okay, well, listen, well, jail isn't for me, so I'm not going to stay in jail long.

My father's going to bail me out, I'm going to be good, you know, and until I heard those gates slam behind me.

So, as soon as I walked inside of prison, I mean, we say jail, but I think it's prison, right?

As soon as I walked inside the cell, I was with this young man, the first thing he said to me, he said, you're not supposed to be in here.

So, I've heard stories before, like, when you first get to jail, like, and someone tries to test you, you have to be ready to, like, fight.

So, I already boxed in my corner, and I'm like, okay, if he approached me, then it's going to be on, right?

And then time went by, and he didn't say anything else.

So, in jail, and jail in the Bahamas, I don't know how it is in the Caribbean, or across, and other cities, and other worlds, and other countries, but we just have this, like, bunk bed frame and plywood.

So, you would have to lay on the plywood.

It's no bed, it's no pillow, it's very uncomfortable.

So, I went on top of the bunk, I'll name it the bunk frame.

I went on top of it, I laid on the plywood, and he was at the bottom.

So, later on, you know, we started to get cool, we started to talk more, and then he kept on saying to me, bro, you're not supposed to be in here.

And as soon as you find out why you're in here, you're going to get bail.

And I'm like, okay, bro, you keep on saying it, but I don't know what you mean.

Until one day, and nothing in jail, by the way, is cold, and the Bahamas jail is like, everything was, like, lukewarm, or, like, hot, even water to drink to cool you off is, like, hot.

So, I say this because when I went to sleep one night, I dreamed I was having a cold bottle of grape soda.

Those who knew me knew that I loved me some grape soda.

And then I dream I was drinking a cold bottle of grape soda, and I was so happy because I needed it so much, and this guy came out of nowhere and slapped this grape soda on my eye.

And in the dream, I'm like, why did you do that?

And then he said to me, because I could, and you can't do me nothing.

And in the dream, I picked up the grape soda, dusted off, and kept on drinking it.

I woke up mad.

Don't one of those dreams and you wake up mad, right?

Or you wake up pop, you're crying.

So real, yeah.

Right, I was mad because in real life, I would have never allowed that to happen.

Like, I would have like, it would have went left quick.

And then, while I was on top of the bunk frame, laying on a plywood, one of the scratches again, how uncomfortable it was, I said to myself, wow, am I in here because of my temper?

And I said, bro, I think I know why I'm here.

He said, oh yeah, you got it now?

I was like, yeah, because of my temper.

He said, well, if that's the reason why, that you're in here, you're going to get bail tomorrow morning.

And I'm like, no, bro, you tripping.

No, he said you're going to get bail.

Sorry, he said you're going to get bail.

He said for sure.

I said, I'm like, bro, no, you tripping.

All I got is time in here to deny my bail for six months for me to come back to get sentenced.

But it is what it is.

Eight o'clock that next morning, Noel, get up, you got bail.

So God wanted to show me from that day where I could have landed myself if I didn't have changed the way I process things and do things and like really cool down my temper.

That's how I personally felt.

I never saw that young man when he said, his soul should nothing from this day.

I believe personally, it was an angel.

That is amazing.

So, but when did you meet Jesus though?

So I met, well, first of all, let me first say I grew up in church.

My mom is a believer.

Now my dad also is a believer.

So I grew up in church and I was always, we was, she always kept us to church.

And that's why the saying is so true.

Train the child the way to go.

When he, she's younger.

So when they reach older, they shall not depart from it.

Now, when I really changed my life is when, so I got out of jail and then I realized this was my point to change.

That I needed to really give everything that I'm doing up.

So I decided, and I rededicated myself to Christ.

I got baptized and I said, Lord, I used to do all types of stuff to make money and the wrong way and trying to get around and hustled so much.

And I'm like, Lord, I don't not wanna be in this situation again.

Lord, once again, Jeremiah 29, 11 says, for you know the plans you offer my life.

Plans to prosper me, not to hurt me, but to give me a hope in the future.

And Proverbs 19, 21 says, many of the plans in a person's heart, but only God plans and prevails.

And Proverbs, I think 35 says, trust in God.

No, you don't understand in all thy ways, acknowledge him, he shall direct your path.

I steady said to Christ, I don't know what I'm doing.

I'm going to sit back and watch you make this happen.

And that's what I did.

The testimony continues.

If you wanna hear more, but I'm gonna allow you to ask questions.

When did you connect to helping young folks?

When did you realize that?

Definitely.

So, okay.

Now in the season where now I am now in a still season, where now, where I taught who was supposed, where I taught that my life is supposed to be going this way, but it isn't going that way.

And then, and I'm saying to God, okay, I'm trusting you and I'm trusting you.

And I'm asking you to like, show me the way.

So to the grace of God, somehow, I mean, only through the grace of God, I landed myself, no, I'm sorry.

God landed me a job at the office of the prime minister.

Now I am employed at the office of the prime minister.

That's the chief of staff assistant.

And so coming from the pits of the palace, once again, through the grace of God.

And then in this time, whilst I'm working on the office of the prime minister, I said, no need to be honest with you, God put it in my heart that, okay, well, now I bought you from a place that everybody thought that it was not possible.

I need you now to show young men in this country that if they put their trust in me, if they wait, if they have faith, if they obey me, I can bring them from their situation there and now to even greater places where you've never been.

So what I did through the grace of God, I decided to take the streets.

So, like I said, I live in a constituency called Angleston and where a majority of, you know, crime would usually happen in the Bahamas.

And then I would just, I walked the streets and when I saw young men sitting on the blocks one day, I'm like, hey, listen, so this is my story.

So my story related to what they were going through currently.

To where they were heading as well, yeah?

Exactly, right?

And they would see me in a suit and I'm like, yo, don't mind this suit.

Like I've been where you guys been worse.

I even, it was so bad one time ago, I was eating out of the trash can.

That's how bad it was for me.

But God bought me and delivered me from a place where no man could have ever delivered me from.

So I'm here to show you guys, right?

If you want to do better in life, if you want to make money, if you want to make positive money, if you don't want to continue to look behind your shoulder and wonder who's coming, if you don't want to continue to look behind your shoulder and look up to see if the police is coming because you're selling drugs on the streets, put down the drugs, put down all of the guns.

And trust me, if you follow Christ, who is leading me to make you guys go towards a scrape pot, I promise you, He will not fail you.