251. Following God's Call into Difficult Places With Stephanie Page251. Following God's Call into Difficult Places With Stephanie Page
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
Heidi Mortenson talks with Stephanie Page about following God's call into human trafficking work, creating a survivor-supporting café, and naming manipulation and exploitation in relationships. The conversation blends faith, education and encouragement for anyone wrestling with shame or sensing a difficult calling.
41:55•3 Aug 2026
Following God Into Hard Places: Stephanie Page on Trafficking, Callings and Courage
Episode Overview
- Human trafficking is often rooted in manipulation and unhealthy relationships, and usually looks relational rather than like dramatic kidnapping.
- Abuse, exploitation and trafficking sit on a spectrum, with exploitation and trafficking defined by exchanges of value and involvement of a third party.
- Seeing your own worth is essential; when people recognise their value, they're less vulnerable to manipulative and exploitive dynamics.
- Authentic relationships come from honesty and secure identity, not from trying to control others or trade affection to get needs met.
- Persevering in a hard calling requires walking closely with Jesus, surrendering pride and taking one obedient step at a time.
“In order to persevere, you have to stay so close. You have to walk so close with Jesus.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and also step into the darkest corners of society? This conversation between host Heidi Mortenson and guest Stephanie Page centres on following God's call into difficult places, including the messy realities of human trafficking and exploitation.
You'll hear how Stephanie's childhood faith shifted into a lifelong commitment at age ten, when she says, "If he gave his life for me, then I'll give my life for him." That promise eventually led her through years on the mission field and into founding Stories Foundation and a nonprofit café in Minnesota.
The café isn't just about coffee; it funds awareness work, survivor support, job training, and a therapist-led support group, while offering a safe place where people are simply told, "Hey, you matter." Stephanie breaks down trafficking in clear, practical terms: the difference between abuse, exploitation and trafficking, and how manipulation sits on a spectrum that can start with everyday unhealthy behaviour.
She explains how grooming often looks like a normal relationship at first and why she teaches young people that "every person has a story and every story has value" as a defence against exploitation. Faith runs through every part of her story.
Stephanie admits she's "really not that strong" and "really not that wise," and talks about relying on Jesus moment by moment: "Lord, help me all the time." That ongoing dependence, rather than a picture-perfect quiet time routine, is what she credits for persevering in such heavy work. This episode may especially resonate if you're in recovery, wrestling with shame around past choices, or sensing God tugging you towards a hard calling.
It offers language for unhealthy dynamics, encouragement for survivors and perpetrators alike, and a gentle challenge: what small step of obedience could your story hold today?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.