'Jesus' walks streets of Apia

By Terry Tavita
19 December 2002

Donald Sooga is a man on a personal crusade.
Carrying a heavy ten foot cross slung across his shoulder, he walked along Beach Road yesterday drawing the attention of many a bemused onlooker

Cars slowed to a crawl, shoppers stopped in their tracks, lunch-time diners raised their heads, amused, as toddlers pointed their fingers at the diminutive figure as he trudged along the Apia sidewalk.

Barefooted, clad in a knee-high robe tied with a red sash, the 60 year old slouched with the weight of the crucifixion symbol under the scorching midday sun.

With reddish sandy hair and flowing white beard, he appeared a striking resemblance of the pious figure depicted in portraits and publications we’ve come to know the Messiah by.

Donald Sooga, a US resident, believes he has been called by the Lord to spread the message of Christ by carrying his cross in 'all four corners of the globe, and in all walks of life.'

“I am not of a particular religion or a church,” he says.

“My crusade is to allow people to see for themselves how Jesus suffered on the cross so that our sins can be forgiven.”

You think people’s aka, the Hebrew’ attitudes during the times of Jesus have changed ?

Sooga says he still gets ridiculed and taunted by some along the way.

“But that is not for me to judge, that is only what God can do.”

Asked if he does this only for the festive season he replied, “no, my visits are not planned, I was called to come here.”

Though Sooga has only been on ‘his crusade’ for four years, he has carried the cross in American Samoa, Hawaii and many US mainland cities, counties and states.

Rain or shine, drought or blizzard, he said.

In 1999, Sooga said that the Lord appeared to him inside his village Church in Pago Pago and told him to build a wooden cross.

“He then instructed me take it to the countries of the world,” he said.

“The Lord told me not to be afraid or become confused for he will show me where to go.”

Sooga said he was also instructed not to preach to people, endorse a particular religion or belief and never to pass judgement or to respond to people’s taunts.

“Those who see the cross but still do not believe, the Lord shall deal with them in due time,” he said.

“I do not do this for personal glory or to appear extraudinary, but only because of the Lord’s calling.”

He plans to walk up to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital today and hopefully, to the old folks’ home at Mapuifagalele before he returns to Pago in the weekend.

Posted by andrew at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was walking home tonight from dinner at Mina's. Mele had cooked some veggie stir fry with garlic and ginger that I had picked up for her at the new market. When I reached the top of the little where my three unit fale sits, my neighbors two huge dogs were barking at me furiously.

I picked up a couple of rocks and walked cautiously towards the house. I didn't really want to use them and make a bad impression on my first night. The dogs didn't calm down, but instead increased their intensity as I edged forward. I could hear my neighbors laughing at me.

As I neared the step up to the porch, the dogs split and I thought I had a free and clear path to my door, but one of the dogs rushed me and bit fiercely into my right calf. I let out a little yelp of pain (probably more like "sonofabitch!).

The dogs backed off, but only because the owners ran up to see what happened. They asked me if I was alright and I said, of course I'm not. I was just bitten by one of your fucking dogs. They asked me if I had kittens and then warned me to be very careful with them. Great.

Inside once I settled down, I had a chance to look at the wounds to see how bad it was. My legs was throbbing. Blood was oozing out of a large gash on the front of my calf and seeping from two small gashes on the back of the leg.

I cleaned the wound with some antibacterial soap and I broke into my first aid kit to grabbed some gauze to staunch the flow and some chlorhexidine antiseptic to stave off infection. It's painful, but I'm going to live.

Posted by andrew at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning I had some kind of papaya jam that was so sour it was simply unpalatable. The quality of the food has gone way down since Tupu has taken sick with mata piniki and given over the the morning food prep chores to my sister-in-law Moana. No fruit salad. No banana pancakes. Instead I get stuff like this jam and cold canned spaghetti on bread. Have you ever had cold canned spaghetti on bread? Don't bother. It's much worse than it sounds.

Well there's only a little more than a week left in the village and and while I will leave with mixed feelings, I will be seriously happy to be able to prepare my own food again.

Posted by andrew at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I bet you didn't know it was International Volunteer Day. Who the fuck cares? To honor this day, we dragged our asses out of bed at some ungodly hour so that we could get to Apia by 7:30 for the march from the fire station to the government building with all the other volunteer groups in Samoa (VSO from UK, AVI from Australia, VSA from New Zealand, YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, etc, etc.) I don't know who's bright idea this, but I wasn't thrilled about it.

The procession was led by the police marching band which was, I must admit, very cool. I'm curious how such a small police force is able to muster an orchestra. You must be able to become a police officer automatically if you can play the tuba, the oboe or some other obscure palagi instrument. However they manage it, there they were marching and belting out tunes.

The march was followed by a ceremony at the large Samoan fale near the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was, typically, a dull, boring affair with speeches by the faife'au and all the usual suspects. I spent most of time outside chatting with Cherelle Jackson, reporter for the Samoa Observer and girlfriend to a PCV named Nathan who's about to COS.

Posted by andrew at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)