A quiet Navy office. A Gideon Bible. A young man searching for more.

In this episode of Hope Mississippi, Pastor Carlos Wilson shares how a private spiritual awakening became four decades of public service, and a ministry rooted in hope you can actually see and touch. From rural Mississippi to Hattiesburg’s east side, faith looks like fresh paint on a weathered porch, new roofs over old homes, and a park where families gather under open sky. If you’ve ever wondered how calling turns into community change, this story offers blueprints, not platitudes.

Carlos reflects on meeting Flo, his partner in life and ministry, and the steady courage that grows from a marriage built on patience, prayer, and persistence. We explore contentment as a learned strength in a state where too many children go without, and why joy doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. From Pride to the East Side to Power of the Hour, he shows how small, consistent acts of service can restore dignity and rebuild neighborhoods one win at a time.

We unpack the origin of Chain Park, the setbacks, the near-misses, the unlikely partnerships, and how collaboration between churches, neighbors, and city leaders turned vision into common ground. Mentorship surfaces throughout: preachers who shaped his voice, the decision to value clarity over performance, and the daily discipline of encouragement, texts, handshakes, and simple hellos that keep people going.

We also step into the sacred work of racial reconciliation through Mission Mississippi and shared worship across congregations, learning to listen across styles, rhythms, and histories without losing what makes each tradition sing. This is ministry that uses every tool available, saws, songs, spreadsheets, and smiles, to build belonging.

Subscribe for more stories of practical faith. Share this episode with someone who believes communities can change. And leave a review with one gift you plan to use for your neighbors.

Let’s keep turning hope into places people can stand.

Join us for new episodes on the 1st and 15th of each month as we continue sharing stories of transformation from across Mississippi. Each story reminds us that when we contribute our unique gifts, Mississippi rises together.

Hope Mississippi's Mission: The sobering reality remains: one in four Mississippi children lives in poverty, and one in five experiences food insecurity. These statistics aren't just numbers—they're our collective challenge. Through these conversations, we discover that Mississippi's transformation occurs through individual commitments to mentor, encourage, and be present for others. The small acts of hope accumulate into the broader "miracles" we celebrate.

Mississippi doesn’t need more silos; it needs a shared table. We sit down with community leader and author Tina Lakey to discuss practical hope and how coordinated mentoring, cross‑denominational partnerships, and consistent prayer can move the needle on poverty, food insecurity, and youth outcomes across the state. From the work at the Methodist Children’s Home to the bold vision of Unite Mississippi, we walk through real models that bring people together and keep the focus on serving children and families.

Tina’s leadership story pulls back the curtain on what it takes to break barriers. She rose from a frontline role to become the first woman in management at CenterPoint Energy in Mississippi, then led a multi‑state division. Her core lesson is disarmingly simple: trust people, learn fast, and lead as service. That same posture fuels her work today, mentoring in schools, partnering with churches and law enforcement, and building coalitions that measure progress in changed lives, not press releases.

We also explore the heart behind her devotional project, Conversations with God. Born from grief after her mother’s passing, Tina’s daily writings grew into a community and then a book that readers use to start their mornings. She shares the messy middle, publishing hurdles, spiritual resistance, and the persistence required to keep showing up. With a refreshed edition on the way and a new volume in development, she offers a roadmap for anyone called to turn personal healing into public help.

If you’ve wondered how to help beyond weekends and hashtags, this conversation gives you next steps: mentor one student, join a prayer luncheon that drives action, adopt ten anchor scriptures to guide your year, and choose service over titles. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about Mississippi’s future, and leave a review with the one action you’ll take this week.

Join us for new episodes on the 1st and 15th of each month as we continue sharing stories of transformation from across Mississippi. Each story reminds us that when we contribute our unique gifts, Mississippi rises together.

Hope Mississippi's Mission: The sobering reality remains: one in four Mississippi children lives in poverty, and one in five experiences food insecurity. These statistics aren't just numbers—they're our collective challenge. Through these conversations, we discover that Mississippi's transformation occurs through individual commitments to mentor, encourage, and be present for others. The small acts of hope accumulate into the broader "miracles" we celebrate.

What if the detour is the assignment?
In this episode of Hope Mississippi, Dawn visits with Van Jones to trace a winding path—from the Mississippi Delta to Southern Miss basketball, through a career-ending injury, and into a calling that stretches from classrooms to church pews, from an ice-cream counter to a lakeside retreat. The throughline is simple but demanding: excellence, service, and unity.

Van opens up about growing up cramped but deeply loved, chasing the wrong heroes until basketball introduced structure, accountability, and mentorship. After collegiate success, a freak ankle injury erased professional dreams and ushered in a season of depression—until a coaching opportunity changed everything. From there, Van poured discipline and care into rebuilding high-school programs and mentoring students who still call him years later. Alongside his wife, Nicole, he launched the After School Academics and Arts Program, blending tutoring, daily devotions, and character education for more than a thousand students and hundreds of staff members.

That same heart for people carried into entrepreneurship as ministry. In Purvis, their ice-cream and sandwich shop exists to build unity through food, fun, and fellowship—a true third space where people feel seen and encouraged. Just down the road, Blue Hollow Lake Retreat offers canoes, trails, and quiet cabins for couples, churches, and nonprofits seeking rest, reflection, and restoration. Van also shares how early public-speaking training, pastoral mentorship, and a memorable first sermon—washing his wife’s feet—shaped his approach to preaching: simple, visual, and actionable.

We close with a charge rooted in Mississippi but meant for anywhere: unity and diversity aren’t just ideals—they’re the new economy. When churches, businesses, and neighbors adopt schools, collaborate across lines, and put service first, hope scales fast.

If this story moved you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the message. Then tell us: what “what if” will you act on this week?

Join us for new episodes on the 1st and 15th of each month as we continue sharing stories of transformation from across Mississippi. Each story reminds us that when we contribute our unique gifts, Mississippi rises together.

Hope Mississippi's Mission: The sobering reality remains: one in four Mississippi children lives in poverty, and one in five experiences food insecurity. These statistics aren't just numbers—they're our collective challenge. Through these conversations, we discover that Mississippi's transformation occurs through individual commitments to mentor, encourage, and be present for others. The small acts of hope accumulate into the broader "miracles" we celebrate.