The war broke out in Europe. I was able only to visit the churches, and late in the fall of the same year I was ordered to leave these countries. After being home for some time, I met the wife of a minister and she asked, "Where have you been, Bro. Susag? We haven't seen you nor heard of you for so long." I told her I had been to Europe. "Why, no," she explained, "you were in such and such a congregation," (naming a place where I had stopped to receive greetings to carry to Europe). Then she said, "They said that you had not gotten any further than New York, as you did not have the money to go any farther." Then I told her, "The Lord made it very clear to me to go, so I went."
After leaving this place for New York I was sitting on the train reading my Bible when a train man came along and said, "Are you reading the good book?" After answering yes, he asked if I was a minister. I answered, "yes," and he asked where I was going. I told him I was on my way to Europe. "Do you have the finances supplied?" he asked. I told him I traveled by faith. "To what church do you belong?" he asked. I told him, the Church of God. So he explained, "My pastor is Brother ——; What is your name?" When I told him, he said, "Why, I have heard of you." As he left he said, "Pardon me, I will see you again before we come to our divisional point." Later on he came and handed me a sum of money, so my needs were nicely cared for.
On hearing of my experience, the sister exclaimed, "Why! God's promise, 'My
God shall supply all your needs,' was fulfilled at that time."
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ARRESTED FOR BEING A GERMAN DOCTOR
In 1915 I was on the Atlantic ocean on my way to Europe, and the captain came to me a number of times on the voyage, saying, "I am afraid you are going to have trouble if an English boat catches us before we get to Norway, because you claim to be a Norwegian by birth and a minister. We think you are a German by birth and a doctor. We had one sailing with us the last trip from Saint Paul, Minnesota and he spelled his name 'Susage' and was a German and a doctor. You spell your name 'Susag.' He had a goatee like you and looked just like you, and we think you two are brothers. We believe you are an American citizen, and if you acknowledge that you are a German and a doctor, we believe we can be a help to you. We will guarantee to the English people that we will take care of you and take you back to America the next trip."
I thanked him and smiled and said, "But I am still a Norwegian and a preacher, and I believe I am going to stand the test."
Sure enough a number of us were apprehended by an English war ship, and they sailed us into Kirkwall, Scotland and put nine of us (me included) under arrest. The fourth day a high official came from London to examine our papers, and I was the first one to march in between two rows of soldiers with bayonets on the guns ready for action. The captain and first mate were present to see how I was coming out. Finally a soldier called, "Halt!" and I assure you, I stopped and smiled at them all. I saluted the officer and handed him my papers After he had examined them thoroughly, he said to me, "Where were you born, Reverend?" I said, "in Norway." "What City?" "Stienkjer," I answered. "Will you tell us that in your own tongue?"
I did so; then he folded my papers nicely and handed them, back to me, smiled and saluted and said, "Pass on; you are ok." I enjoyed the experience very much.
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