Fortitude
Everyone has a story of Fortitude! When we tell our stories of pain in adversity - stories of courage, redemption and hope - we give others permission to speak up and get the help they need. Each episode will give the listener a look inside what overcoming adversity looks like no matter what life throws at you. Each story is uniquely different - stories of alcoholism/addiction, infidelity, rape, abuse, loss of a child/children, cancer, rare disease, tragic accidents...etc.! We are in this life together to support one another and build community around hope and redemption. I am your host, Heather Kittelson, and I am so excited to have you here as part of the Fortitude community!
Episodes
Christmas Day Episode!
In this Christmas Day conversation, we sit down with Jill Miller. Jill is a singer-songwriter and speaker who has lived a lot of life, and she tells the truth with so much grace.
We talk about the kind of seasons that don’t get wrapped up in a tidy bow.
Infertility. Adoption. Divorce. Loss. The moments that make you wrestle with God, not perform for Him.
Jill also shares what she calls “sacred...
🎙️ Episode 66 — Turning Grief into Grace
Guest: Deb Hadley, Founder of KT Humble Hearts
When unimaginable loss struck, Deb Hadley faced the kind of heartbreak no parent should ever endure. Within months, she lost both of her children, Kaylie and Tyler. Her world shattered, but her faith refused to die.
In this powerful conversation, Deb shares how she turned grief into grace and pain into p...
🌟 Episode 65 is LIVE! 🌟
Today, we are honored to host a global voice of resilience—Amberly Lago—on the Fortitude Ministries Podcast.
This is not just another survival story. It’s a story of transformation. After a devastating motorcycle accident, Amberly could have stopped at her pain. But she refused. She chose purpose. She chose faith. She chose joy.
In Episode 65: Joy Through the Journey, Heather and Amos sit down w...
✨ Episode 64 is Live! ✨
We are honored to kick off Season 4 by sitting down with an incredible woman, Chantelle—a daughter, wife, and leader whose story carries both depth and hope.
In this episode, Heather and Amos talk with Chantelle about:
- The beauty and challenges of living out your faith in everyday life
- What it means to lead with both strength and humility
- How to rise through family, marriage, and community ...
🌟 Season 4 of the Fortitude Podcast is Here 🌟
This isn’t just the start of a new season—it’s the testimony of what God can do when a couple chooses to say yes to His calling, even through the hardest seasons.
Heather and Amos open Season 4 by sharing the real journey behind Fortitude: the valleys, the rebuilding of trust, the sacrifices of motherhood and leadership, and the courage to keep showing up for each other, t...
Rerun: Bloom Where You’re Planted with Paul DeJong (Episode 42)
In this powerful conversation, Heather and Amos welcome back their dear friend Paul DeJong for part two of his story. Paul, the former owner of Landscape Garden Centers in Sioux Falls, shares the journey of retiring after his Parkinson’s diagnosis and the life changes that followed.
He opens up about the challenges of letting go of independence, moving into...
🎧 Episode 63 is LIVE: Miracle at the Mall
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
🔗 Book link: https://a.co/d/6Kie6Y7
Some moments change the world.
Some miracles leave a scar.
And some mothers walk through the unimaginable… and still choose faith.
Today, we share one of the most heartbreaking and hope-filled stories ever told on the Fortitude Podcast.
Kari Hoffman’s 5-year-old son, Landen, was thrown from the 3rd floor...
🎧 Episode 62: Living Without a Stomach – Heather Parmeter’s Story of Faith, Risk, and Radical Resilience
At just 29 years old, Heather Parmeter sat across from a doctor and heard the impossible:
She had an 83% chance of developing the same aggressive stomach cancer that had taken both her mother and grandfather.
If she waited for symptoms to appear, she’d have only a 4% chance of survival.
So Heather made a decision most...
Episode 61: The Boldest Chapter – with Alicia Schumacher
What if clarity doesn’t come from having a perfect plan—
but from losing everything that made you think you had to?
In this powerful episode, Heather and Amos sit down with Alicia Schumacher, founder of Bold Minds and Bold Identity Studio, to talk about identity, reinvention, and the raw reality of starting over.
After nearly 20 years in marketing, Alicia’s life too...
“Wrecked for More” with Pastor Phill Tague
This episode will challenge what you think you know about calling, grace, and leadership.
What happens when God doesn’t just save you—but stops you?
Phill Tague knows. He was the guy with all the answers, all the hustle, and all the wrong direction—until God called him out, broke through his pride, and gave him something far more dangerous: purpose.
Before Ransom Church.
Before pr...
In this deeply moving episode, Amos and Heather sit down with Benson Langat—a former elite runner from Kenya, now a sought-after coach, mentor, and founder of Bensane Run Coaching & Sports Consulting.
Together, they explore the tension between performance and purpose, the gift of slowing down, and the powerful role faith plays in Benson’s coaching philosophy. From his early days of chasing medals to learning how to...
In this compelling episode of Fortitude Podcast, we sit down with South Dakota DCI Special Agent Brian Freeouf, a man who has spent his life fighting for the most vulnerable—often from the shadows.
From serving undercover to stop predators targeting children, to leading high-tech forensic investigations, Brian’s journey is anything but ordinary. But what makes this episode truly unforgettable isn’t just Brian’s career—...
Jon Setzer is a dynamic speaker, coach, and former professional athlete with a passion for inspiring others to unlock their full potential. As the founder of Setzer Elite, Jon combines his experience as a professional football player with his gift for communication to deliver powerful messages on faith, leadership, resilience, and personal development.
With a background in college and professional football, Jon underst...
In this episode of Fortitude, hosts Heather and Amos Kittleson sit down with Bintu and Luc, a remarkable couple with a compelling story that spans continents. Bintu shares her journey from the Congo to Belgium, her escape from war, and her mission to bring hope and education back to her homeland through her nonprofit, Future Hope Africa.
Luc, who was atheistic most of his life, recounts his unexpected path to faith an...
Albert Huizing is a steadfast man whose life story is a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of unwavering parents and community. Albert shares his journey of experiencing family bankruptcy and living in poverty as a child to becoming a successful family man, business owner and author. His foundation in faith was established early on in his life by attending Christian school and witnessing Christ-centered liv...
Nancy Zollner is a devoted Christian, wife, mother, and lifelong educator with a passion for teaching and ministering to others. As the founder and director of Redemption Ranch, located near Wabasso, MN, she is dedicated to creating a space where faith, healing, and community thrive.
With nearly two decades of experience as a teacher, Nancy taught everything from elementary to high school, specializing in middle and hi...
#53 Jeremy & Brooke Brown - Step by Step: The Browns' Journey of Faith, Family, and Clubfoot Triumph
In this heartwarming and inspiring episode, we sit down with long-time friends Brooke and Jeremy Brown to discuss their incredible journey over the past 12 years. From dating and marriage to raising five boys, the Browns have faced numerous challenges, including their son Bennett's severe bilateral clubfoot.
Listen as they share their story of faith, resilience, and the power of community. Brooke's...
In this heart-wrenching yet inspiring episode, hosts Amos and Heather Kittelson sit down with Shelly and Ladell Kellenberger to discuss a life-altering accident that changed their lives forever. Ladell, affectionately known as "Gopher," shares his miraculous survival story of running into a train, the incredible medical journey that followed, and the unwavering faith that carried him and his family through t...
In October 2022, Nick Kiesow suffered a spinal cord stroke that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
In this powerful episode of the Fortitude Podcast, hosts Amos and Heather sit down with Nick Kiesow to discuss his extraordinary journey of overcoming a spinal cord stroke. Nick shares the rare nature of his condition, the initial shock, and the relentless determination that has driven his substantial reco...
In this heartfelt episode, hosts Heather and Amos Kittelson welcome Rebekah Scott, a dynamic entrepreneur, designer, author and podcast host, to kick off Season 3!
Rebekah is a servant to God, wife to Nicholas, mother to 4 beautiful kiddos and entrepreneur from SD. She has developed several successful brands including two handmade purse and accessory businesses (Rebekah Scott Designs and 1948 Leather). She i...
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