God’s call on my life to missions:

While attending Calvary Chapel Bible College from 2013-2018, there was a moment in one of my missions classes that I knew God was calling me specifically to be a cross-cultural missionary with my life and guiding me to start preparing. Prior to that clear calling, I understood missions to mean going overseas somewhere with lots of bugs and danger. And I was fearful; however, from that specific moment, God changed my heart, and I was not fearful anymore. Suddenly, I was willing to go wherever He would send me. I started getting rid of my possessions and prepared to move without knowing where I was going.

When I was finishing Bible College, I was ready and willing to live in another country and spent a couple of my last semesters in Mexico and Israel. From there God led me into an internship for a summer in Kosovo following Bible College. After that I didn’t expect God would direct me back to my home state of Minnesota, and to be a caregiver for my family members for several years, but He did. I don’t think I would have returned willingly to Minnesota nor stay here if it wasn’t for these needs, but God knows how to get us where we are supposed to be. During Covid, while still caring for family, He showed me I was to start as a domestic missionary primarily to my Jerusalem, which turned into a focus on the Somali Muslim people in Minnesota. I didn’t see the mission field in front of me until then, and I had just been waiting to leave Minnesota for another country at any time.

A large number of Somali Muslims were now living in my neighborhood and city. I was initially scared of them, but God grew my heart for them while I was saturating the gospel door-to-door to Somali homes during Covid as a part of Saturate Twin Cities / USA. God grew my heart for them to develop a larger outreach to them on a regular basis. For the past few years, I have led teams weekly through Street Level Ministry on outreach to share the gospel with both Muslim and non-Muslim people primarily in Saint Paul/Minneapolis, but also in other parts of the Twin Cities and beyond. In Minneapolis, we have been ministering primarily for the last two years in the same location of a rough area of Minneapolis that has been hard hit by drugs, violence and homelessness. Surprisingly the homeless, drug addicted Somalis have been some of the most open to receive the Gospel message and read the Bible! Praise God! There are many, many Somali Muslims reading the Bible and getting the gospel for the first time! Some Somalis are becoming Christians I have heard, but out of fear, many are not making it known. Please pray for the Somali people to know Him and be bold and courageous in their faith.

Did you know Minnesota is now home to the largest Somali Muslim population in the United States, and they are one of the most unreached people groups in the world! Very few we know of have come to follow Christ world-wide and when they do, they are persecuted by their families and community. Statistics on Joshua Project show 0.0 percent last I checked. I now believe that God has brought me back to my home-state to be a domestic cross-cultural missionary in part and reach these Somali Muslims with the gospel. I aim to not only get them the gospel upon the first encounter, but also to get them a Bible into their hands in a language they can understand. This is at least part of what He has called me to do these past few years.

Also, over the past six years I have been involved with short-term mission trips and helping to co-lead short-term mission trips both to my Judea, Samaria and ends of the earth. I have now been to Kosovo on mission trips about ten times; and to other countries such as Turkey, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Malta. I also have traveled on missions with some fellow evangelists to reach Muslims and non-Muslims both in other parts of Minnesota and other states in the U.S. I participate in Non-Muslim outreaches as well, but a majority of my missions are now focused on the Muslim people and encouraging the church in reaching them.

I have a huge heart for the Muslims in Kosovo and I do hope to move there one day longer term; however, for now, my plan is to continue going to Kosovo twice a year to share the gospel alongside the local evangelical churches. I am also serving with the Balkan Institute of Missions (BIM) while in Kosovo led by Pastor Hilki. With BIM we travel to other countries nearby to help better equip and encourage the churches in reaching Muslims with apologetic training, testimonies and street outreach.

I appreciate your prayers, encouragement and financial partnerships. I typically leave out-of-state or out-of-country three to four months a year and the rest of the year is focused on domestic missions in Minnesota, primarily to the Somali Muslims. I am also currently working as a caregiver part-time, which has been a mission field as well, but as more monthly partnerships come in, I hope can focus more time evangelizing and outreaching and helping to equip others to do the same. I love to plant seeds of the gospel and especially with Muslims, all glory to God!

Feel free to email me at: amyruthbruno@gmail.com for prayer updates or let me know if you would like to join a Telegram app group with more regular updates.

Thank you!

Amy Bruno

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)