Click here to watch the recording of Adiamseged at Heyawe Tesfa TV

Nega: Greetings and welcome, Living Hope Television viewers. How are you doing? Praise the name of the Lord. We have invited to our studio today our brother Adiamseged Woldemariam. He will introduce himself and tell us where he lives and about his ministry. We trust that you will enjoy our time with him and learn a lot from his life. Once again we invite you to stay tuned.

Welcome, Brother Adiam.
Adiam: Thank you.

Tell us where you come from?
I come from Denver, Colorado where I have been living for the last 17 years. I had lived five years before that in Georgia and for five years before that in the Washington DC area.

Where you ministering there?
Yes. When I went there, I started ministering the Ethiopian church in Washington DC with Pastor Hanfre and Pastor Daniel Mekonen. I have served with Tolossa Gudina in the church in Atalanta.

How and when did you leave Ethiopia?
I left my country 27 years ago in the last days of the socialist government. I was running away and had a tough time in Sudan for a year. I didn’t know anyone in Sudan. Those were days of tears for me.

There in Sudan?
I stayed five years in Sudan and in those days I was not in the Lord. In fact I was going to school in the Geja Kale Hiwot Church and then in Tikur Anbessa school. Christianity didn’t mean much to me then. However, in Sudan, the Lord revealed Himself to me in His excellent glory and changed my life.

You mean in Sudan?
Yes, and I would like to tell you a little more about my stay in Sudan. The apostle Paul often spoke of how the Lord changed him on the road to Damascus. Well, I haven’t talked often about my experience in Sudan. But now, I rejoice thinking about how the Lord changed my life at that time. I had a bitter life away from home in Sudan. I used to drink and do drugs and my friends were doing the same. Some days when I was out of money I resorted to drinking the alcohol doctors applied to wounds. I had no fear of God. So, when I went to SIM to the the church in Sudan, I would sit and smoke on the church premises while the ministers and the congregation were coming out. Finally, I was caught stealing from the company where I worked. Then I was beaten and whipped and my work permit was revoked. That was when I came to my senses. I said to God that if He got me out of that trouble I would dedicate my life to His service. I went away and rented a small house that had no window and no door near the Nile. There was a small bed and it and I lay down on the bed.

Did you mean no gate or no door?
It had no door.

How did you get in it?
You just went in but there was no door to close behind you and no window either. It was a mud house without doors and windows.

No door?
It had no door. You went in and slept with the door and window open. The draft came in all the time and made sleeping uncomfortable. I went to that place to escape imprisonment and other problems. I no longer had work permit and everybody knew it. I had been working in a place called Sharamojiria. So, I went to bed and as I opened my eyes I saw the room changing into a frightening hellish atmosphere with a demonic presence in it. An ugly, evil spirit stood in the room with its long teeth bared, its dirty hair tangled and a whip held in its hand. It wanted to come to me and lash me. It was gnashing its teeth in anger. And I, as little as I knew, cried out to God saying, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob save me. I couldn’t move. It stared at me and I stared at it. The room was shaking as if with a violent wind. It was a terrible and frightening scene. About dawn it quieted down and left me alone. The following day I was walking toward the town when I ran into an old acquaintance who had received Jesus. He asked me to go with him and said that Melese Wegu was coming. I went with him reluctantly and when the worship was over, Melese Wegu was speaking. Every word he was saying seemed to hit me like a straight arrow. I was poking my friend and asking if he had told Melese about me. He said he had told him nothing and that Melese had just arrived from America. When the altar invitation came, I was hesitating but while we were all bowing down in prayer, I felt someone pat me on the back and say, “Rise up”. I turned around to see who had touched me and heard the same voice again saying, “Rise up. Rise up”. Startled, I got to my feet and received Jesus. After that I hated that small house and moved to a place where the brothers fellow-shipped in a place called Ashera. They had a prayer house there with carpets and mattresses on the floor.

Was it in secret?
Yes, it was in secret. About 200 people prayed together morning and evening. I had felt lonely in that other house and thought it would be better to be in the company of the brothers. So I moved in with them. They washed my feet which made me feel uncomfortable because no one had done that for me before. I was a drunkard and had been living a wild life. However, I remembered washing feet was a practice in the house of the Lord. So I submitted. They washed my feet and we went in for prayer. Stepping in at the threshold, I saw the house was filled with cloud. My eyes were opened. I saw to my left two sisters who stood singing in tongues. They were singing so sweetly that I thought I was in heaven. I had already been touched. They showed me where to sleep. I remember what a brother had said about being filled with the Holy Spirit. He had said that I would be filled with the Spirit when one of the ministers touched me or when one of them prayed for me. That was funny. I touched a brother on the foot and when I did so, he started rebuking evil spirits with his eyes closed. I thought he had just been filled with the Holy Spirit. So, believing that I would catch it from him, I gripped both of his feet and he rebuked louder. Great commotion ensued and they turned the lights on. They said there was a new Christian in their midst. They said I should be taken out for counseling and brought back in to sleep. When I went to sleep, I had a glorious dream. I share this dream to glorify God. I dreamt I saw there was a writing on the wall which reads thus: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. How can they preach except they be sent?”. Waking up, I was bubbling with indescribable joy. I was asking my friend if I was losing my mind because I felt deep love for everyone I saw and overflowed with what Peter described as joy unspeakable. I was intoxicated with joy. That day when they asked me to go to town I refused. I was laughing whenever I saw anyone and feared that I would act the same way in the bus and look like a fool. So I said I would take a walk. That was how I received Jesus and then followed the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

How did it go on after that? Or, was there another miracle?
There was another miracle in which I saw the mercy and kindness of God. It was a 45 minute walk to town and having walked a half day, I heard of a house where the brothers gathered.

In Khartoum?
Yes, in Khartoum. Church leaders were engaged in prayer and fasting. They asked me to join them. Many Ethiopians were praying there together. They showed me where it was and I got there about evening. I was still laughing and babbling with joy.

Was that in Dagim’s house?
They asked what I had done and I said I had fasted. I had drunk water that morning but I had no clue what fasting was. I said I wanted to pray with them for the following hours. Something wonderful happened as we were on our knees and all of them laid their hands on me. I began to hear a strange sound as of fire and opening my eyes I saw the room flooded with light. I couldn’t see my friends. Everything around me had disappeared and I felt something like cool water flowing through and refreshing me. I was immediately aware of a heavy load being rolled off me. I saw the Holy Spirit in a bodily form like a river of fire flowing through me. I share this for the glory of God. The fire of the Holy Spirit kept on flowing gently in and out of me. I looked inward and saw in my heart a stone, a very hard stone which the Holy Spirit pulled out of me. Oh, praise the Lord, and in its place I saw with my spiritual eyes a soft heart of flesh coming in. I had no knowledge of the Bible at that time. And on that soft heart I saw the Holy Spirit coming and settling. An angel of the Lord stood behind me. He was very short but full of power and restless. I wondered looking at this creature because when he spoke his voice echoed and some kind of power issued forth with his words. He was short and enveloped in a brilliant heavenly cloud. He was full of fire and I wonder how he could stand it. Turning from him I saw a book that was open but if you thrust your hand in it your hand would go through it. The Spirit of God was on the book and on every word in the book I saw the words “anointing,” “oil,” “power” and he says to me, “Eat”. As the angel commanded me to eat, I opened my mouth and tongues flowed out of me. It was so wonderful. He was speaking and I was speaking. An incredible glory of God fell upon me. So, I turned and began to read the book and as I was reading it came into me. The more I ate the hungrier I felt. The angel would turn and come before me and speak to me. He kept telling me to eat and I did eat. My heart was overflowing with joy and I still feel that joy inside me. Suddenly, looking up I saw the firmament with no stars or moon in it. I don’t know how I could see it but I saw it. Someone wearing sandals was coming from very far with spirits beside him. I couldn’t see them but I knew they were coming with him. Considering the distance he was coming from I was thinking I would grow old before he got to me and I was wondering how I could see form such great distance.

Thinking how many days it would take?
Yes.

Estimating how long it would last?
Yes. It was another realm. I was following him with my eyes as he walked and I could see how far. Suddenly he was above the roof and I understood something – the he was perfect man and perfect God. I saw Him and the phrases perfect man, perfect king, perfect God came into my heart. The other thing I understood is His love, perfect love. I was in this perfect love so perfect that I needed nothing else and wanted to live no longer. You would want to eat all of Him and every cell in you would crave Him and never have enough. The Holy Spirit was present in all of that and I could feel the power of Him that was coming. The power of His presence pushed me. It was such an amazing presence. He stretched His hands and they looked red like burning coals of fire and power flowed out of them nonstop. How could so much power flow out of them and they never ran out, I wondered. I saw His palm and nails. Fire issued out of them. Then I looked at my own hands and saw they were dirty and ugly. I was shocked. The power was coming to touch me and I was crying out to the Lord not to touch me because I was so filthy. However, the was the voice of singing and triumphing angels with Him. If a thousand people shouted here, they would deafen you but in the heavenly realm when a million angels sang it filled you with incredible joy. While I refused the touch of the Lord I heard a voice inside me that said that if He did not touch me, I would not be cleansed. That was the voice of the Holy Spirit. Stretching my hands I cried to the Lord to take my sins away. Then He touched my hand and I felt His touch all over my body, from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet. And all of a sudden all the filth went where I know not. It was just blotted out. When He touched my hand I felt as if my hand went out of joint. I couldn’t control myself. I said to Him, “Lord, I want to go with You”. As He went up from me and ascended high I felt the brothers pat me twice the same way I felt someone pat me on the back before I received Jesus. And they woke me up. “Wake up, and sleep over here,” they were saying to me and I slept at the foot of one Brother Wondyirad.

Was all that happening in one night?
It was happening all in one night. I was going back to sleep and the sheets began to crackle as with electric current and I decided I should sleep because everyone else was asleep. In the morning they told me that I had been like a drunken man speaking in tongues to everyone. When they talked to me I was responding in tongues to them and I could not talk in Amharic. They couldn’t make sense of what was happening to me. I wanted to ask them if I could go but the words that came out of my mouth were in tongues. I was gradually able to gain control of myself toward the third day. So, that was how I received Jesus.

Did you receive the power of the Holy Spirit?
I received the power of the Holy Spirit. Though I did not have that kind of glorious experience again, the Holy Spirit still comes upon me in mighty power.

What were the other people saying when that was happening to you?
I didn’t ask them.

You didn’t ask anyone?
I was so drunk that when I returned to my senses I didn’t even talk about what I had just gone through. I was new in the Lord and they were saying it was a unique experience and full of glory. They were saying there was a glorious presence of the Holy Spirit. But I didn’t care much about what they were saying. I should have asked them. If only I could find them now, I would ask them about it.

So, you went into the ministry after that?
Yes.

I mean, you started ministering there in Sudan?
Well, that was where we started. I did not know much except going about and telling everyone that Jesus was the savior. I used to go to the house of prostitutes and preach the gospel to them. One day I went there and I remember there was a Muslim woman. Suddenly, my eyes were opened and I could see water flowing out of me and flooding the room and the area around the house. I don’t know what I said to the woman but I remember I was saying that Jesus would save her. I saw the woman and the man alone receive the Lord Jesus. There was noise around the place but while I was speaking to the woman all sound and noise disappeared and my mind was clear and my ears were clear. I don’t know how all the other noises disappeared while I was talking to her. That night I lay down in bed and my eyes were opened again. I saw a giant angel of God whose eyes were so big. That was the day I received my call. His eyes were blue and he had a hammer, sickle and box and he was dressed in white gown. He asked me to go up a mountain. He said I should have put on the white gown because it was time for men to climb the mountain. He said the other people would have recognized me if I had put on the white gown. But he had left it at home, he said, and there was not time because it was time to go. As he walked I was running because he was so tall he took long strides. When we reached atop the mountain, I saw many people who were like a harvest of wheat and then they were people changing now and then.

They were changing?
Yes. It was a harvest and when birds came to eat it lightning would flash out of the angel’s eyes and strike the birds and they would fall. Then the wheat harvest would change to people as I looked at it. As I told you I had never opened the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 1:28 it says, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise”. I saw myself saying the words, “God chose the things that are not to put to shame the things that are. The Lord is our righteousness and sanctification”. Turning around I saw the angel and heard him saying to me, “I have given you this people. Go, teach them”. Then I woke up and knew that my heart had become enlarged. David said, “I will run the way of your commands when You enlarge my heart”. My heart had changed and was ready for ministry. From that time on I started reading the bible and spending much time with the Lord.

That’s so surprising. Praise the Lord. So, you started ministering in Sudan?
Yes.

You knew you had just received the call to ministry. So, how did you happen to go to America? Did you receive a call to go to America or you went there because you wanted to?
My family had gone there in the days of Hailesellasie. My father was a chairman of Ethiopian Writers Association. Most of my cousins had gone there before me and started the process for me. I was not thinking about going to America at that time because my heart was burning with joy and I had even written to the government of America that I would not come.

You wanted to stay in Sudan?
I was so content with the Lord. In fact when I left Ethiopia my intention was to go to America. However, I found the Lord in Sudan and I wanted nothing more. However, when I was going to the embassy one day the Lord spoke to me. I had been scared of life in America because if what others had told me. The voice I heard in the bus repeatedly said, “Love believes all things”. As I got off the bus the same voice said again three times, “Love believes all things”. It was a cool refreshing voice. For the last time the voice came again three times when I was walking into the house.

When you were going into the embassy?
No, when I was going into my own house.

Into your own house?
Yes. Love believes all things. I was arguing. But the voice kept on saying, Love believes. Then, I felt some assurance in my heart, started the process and went to America. Praise God.

We hear that the government in Sudan was not favorable to Christians in those days. So, how were you living and worshiping? Did you not run into trouble while preaching the gospel? No persecution or imprisonment?
I was not imprisoned at all. SIM had the government’s permission and I was in their church.

Were you with SIM?
SIM carried out their own ministry in the morning and in the afternoon they left the place for us Ethiopians. We also worshiped in our houses in the neighborhood of Ethiopians. It was such a happy time and we had plenty of time to pray. Sometimes, we had an all-night prayer meeting. Spiritual life in the land of exile is so full of happy memories.

Were the missionaries accommodating to Pentecostal experiences like the baptism in the Spirit?
They knew about it but they did not receive it the way we received it. Not many dared go to Sudan to preach the gospel there. There were many exiles in Sudan and I praise God about Melese Wegu who did a lot of work there. He sent us tracts and magazines which we distributed quickly. I praise the Lord for allowing Melese Wegu to go there and minister in that desert.

So, you got the visa for America. How did you find life in America? Did you continue there with the same fervency as in Sudan?
No. To be honest, the ministry by Pastor Daniel Mekonen in the Washington DC area was amazing. The love and cooperation between Pastor Daniel (now Apostle Daniel) and Pastor Hanfre was astounding. The brothers who received me there were church elders and choir leaders. They gave me a place to sleep and every day morning and evening we had a good prayer fellowship and I was a deacon. I also led a bible study.

There in Washington?
Yes, and the spirit there was amazing. There were very few of us 27 years ago.

How about the fellowship of Ethiopian evangelical churches?
Yes, I remember. In those days those of us who went to church in Chicago were not more than 200 people. Then the number began to grow and we were blessed in the ministry of Pastor Daniel Mekonen. We learned the word of God and what it meant to bear the cross. I believe I grew there and learnt a lot. I took all the teachings on tape and listened to them over and over. It was such a blessed time. Praise the Lord.

So, what became of your ministry?
That’s a good question. We were studying the bible and learning and ministering. We went out to preach the gospel often. I was so hungry and I was taking correspondence bible courses. The country and its system made people so busy that it made them materialistic which makes you less fervent in spiritual life. They get entangled by the affairs of temporal life. You become hungry and want to preach the gospel everywhere but you will be limited by regular programs. There is the Sunday morning service and then the Wednesday evening bible study and nothing more. I want to do more but cannot and my heart cries out. I want to go to my country and minister there and that’s the subject my tearful prayer. I have prayed and wept about that for many years before the Lord.

There are many great men of God who come from America and other countries. Some of them were great ministers while they were here but not so after they went there. Some of them do not come back to minister here. But you have come to Ethiopia to minister. What is the reason many of them do not come to minister here?
Honestly, the promise of material prosperity in another country is tempting. There is also great opportunity. Not only do people busy themselves working ten to sixteen hours a day to make a lot of money but they also buy their own house and start their own business. So, when a minister goes abroad, the church at home cannot afford to bring him back. So the first generation exiles, about 20 or 50 or 100 of us, gather together and contribute to purchase a building which takes 50 to 60 percent of the budget. So, when we begin to consider missionary services.

It will be tough.
It will be tough. That is one of the problems. The other is the problem of not working together and not sharing resources. Everyone goes their own way as in the days of the judges. And it is so hard to restore what has gone wrong for many years. In fact there are some churches which have overcome debts of construction and other regular expenditures and are preparing for missionary services. But it has taken them 15 to 20 years. That’s why you don’t see many ministers from abroad.

They are the ones who are free from debt.
Yes, and there are so few of them. If you ask me about prophetic ministry, apostolic, evangelistic and teaching ministries in the church in America, I would say that there are not all five offices in one church. The reason for that, as I said, is capacity problem. As a result, we are more preoccupied with our own life than the kingdom of God.

How long have you been in America?
About 22 or 23 years

Did you even come home since you went there?
I came here 17 years ago for ministry.

We will come back to that later. You want to come and minister here and I found you ministering. How do the problems of life abroad impact your ministry here? How do you intend to handle it?
Let me answer both questions together. Many have grown cold and are letting the opportunity go by. So, if you miss the opportunities like that, you have to work hard to serve on your own. I have served for many years while my wife did jobs. I have spent three fourths of my life doing a little job and ministering most of the time. But that was not in the presence of thousands of people who shouted Hallelujahs. You closed your door and cried in the presence of the Lord alone. Not many dare minister in that kind of situation. So, they have grown cold. Now let’s come to the second question. When I came back here 17 years ago, I came to preach the gospel in the northern rural area and did a lot of works with the fellowship of churches there. I met an elder there who saw the New Amharic Standard bible in my hand. He asked me for it. I was surprised and asked him why. This new version has study notes and…

Footnotes and cross references
Yes. It has footnotes. He said he was an elder of a church but did not have that bible and needed it. I felt something deep in my heart. “Why do I not compile study notes at least for the Gospel of John and contribute it to the church in my country?” I thought. There were a lot of services in the city then. There was Pastor Daniel and Yared the singer and…

Yared Maru?
Yes, Yared Maru. It was many pages and they asked why I was going back but I had resolved to go. So I went back and with God’s help I started writing books.

You mean after that ministry?
Yes. I went back to America. Fortunately, my wife is so devoted to the Lord. She said I should sit down and do what the Lord told me to do and she would work for our livelihood. She has sacrificed a lot and I love her so much. She is so humble. I wish she could relax and enjoy life like other women without sacrificing too much. However, the burden of ministry outweighed all other concerns and she sacrificed a lot. Again, my prayer is that God would recompense her for her sacrifices. I know there will be a great reward in heaven.