Maybe this blog has a few more breaths in it…

Perhaps by popular demand (thanks Mark for your email) this blog will remain open a while longer. We'll see…
Anyhow, if you're looking for a laugh, a smile or a little bit of French trivia, I invite you to read my little brother's blog: Sarcastic Frenchie. I've been enjoying it!

Wedding in the Family… Guess Who?

Mom has just posted some photos of my grandfather's wedding. I'm sure you'll enjoy them if you know us!

Cool Church in Hot Country: Yeah man…

World's best team? Jérémie just posted some news and photos on his blog. Last Sunday, he visited a church in Jamaica. But it wasn't just a visit, they were asked to run the whole service. You can read the whole story on his blog. 

PS. Staying in the family. Sunday night we had a very enjoyable Sushi-party. Thanks Rachel for all the hard work!

Photos of the Summer on the Family Blog

Mom has put up some nice photos. You can find them and enjoy them on the family blog: La Ferme Kapi.

Do think of signing up for Mom's blog. The updates are irregular, that way you'll be sure to not miss the great photos!

Jérémie and the Logos Hope On the High Seas!

Jérémie is sailing to the Caribbean with the rest of the Logos Hope crew. He gives an update in this post: Caribbean Here We Come!


Before that he was able to come and surprise Mélanie by attending her baptism. You can go on the family blog for some really nice photos.

Ending the Recession is Easy (Child's play)

My 11 year old brother Nathan came up to me last week with a revelation. "I wish I could talk to the president 'cause I know how to stop the crisis."

Interested in knowing what this would be (admittedly with a bit of condescension) I listened to his miracle plan. "Its simple, money is what caused all this, so we should give up money! People should work hard and work for food"

Indeed that is simple. I'm nearly ALWAYS opinionated, but I'll spare you tonight.

Things We Don't Know About Our Grandparents

I just got home from another evening spent with my grandfather, Bill Kapitaniuk. It's amazing to hear some of his stories. He's so quiet about them He's a great storyteller, but very humble of what God has led him to do.

But having a Bible-smuggler for a Grandfather makes me aware of the lack of importance I place on the Bible. Papy was willing to suffer to bring a few Bibles into the communist block, I can hardly get out of bed. I will continue recording his stories and picking his brain to know what made my grandfather tick. I've lived around him for 22 years, but I realize today that I've only begun to make his acquaintance.

New Arrivals on the Kapi Farm

Spring is in the air and, as on any farm, great things happen. You can read about the newest inhabitants of the Kapi Farm on the family blog, by clicking here. As you see on the photo, everyone was excited to hear the news...

http://fermekapi.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-arrivals-on-farm.html

 

The Awesome Watchmaker

Today is my parent's 24th anniversary. But having been too busy this week to write a tribute to them, I'll have to postpone it until tomorrow. Until then, enjoy this beautiful clip, The Awesome Watchmaker. I saw it tonight for the first time and thought it worth sharing. I don't know who's behind the project, but I congratulate their effort.

French Stereotypes and French Policemen

My mother has a fun story of being an American in northern France. I'm sure she would claim she's never bribed the police force, but I wonder what she calls cookies and coffee. You can read the story on the Kapi Family Blog.

What I Miss Most of the Woman Known to Most as Sophie Kapitaniuk

To you she was Sophie. To me she was 'Mamy'. 3 months have now gone by since she has gone to be with Jesus. The pain has lessened (as it should), but I still think of her often. Here are a few things I'll miss of my grandmother.

• Her prayer. Daily she prayed. On Sundays, at church she would pray "Lord bless your servant," as the preacher stood. During the week I would drop by and ask her to pray for specific things. I don't know what will be the consequence of her prayers. I also cannot say what will now be the consequences of the lack of prayer, in our family, in our church and in our city.
• Her excitement. Though she was 75 years-old, she was easily glad when she heard stories of people taking risks for Jesus. She loved missions because she loved Jesus.
• Her listening ear. I know many women (and men) tend to become talkers as they age. They go on tangents and you just have to bear with them. Not so with Mamy. She really listened. She loved to offer advice, but she always listened. I miss being able to talk to her. I miss reading the Bible to her.
  
• Her presence. At the birth of my youngest cousin I cried at the realization that she would never know our grandmother. When, God willing, I have children, I will not be able to show them to Mamy. She loved children, and few things made her happier than holding babies.

3 months have come and gone. I still think of Mamy daily. I'm simply glad that her suffering is over and that she is happy now. Her love was God and to himself has gathered her. She is in heaven because she trusted Jesus as her saviour.

La Ferme des Kapi

You've got to check out the photo of the snowmen on our family blog. It doesn't snow here like we'd like it to. But my brothers and sisters seem to have no problem doing the best with what God gives…

A Tribute to My Grandmother Sophie Kapitaniuk

The following post is a shortened version of the tribute I wrote to Mamy the week she died:

November 11, 2008

’Mamy’, as we called her, has gone to be with Jesus and is most happy now. Mamy was a pillar and model to me. Her influence upon my life is incalculable because she was a woman of prayer with great faith in God.

Though 75 years-old, she laughed like a child. God and the Bible were her greatest sources of happiness. When I dedicated my life to missions, she was perhaps the most excited of my whole family. In my grandparent's view, missions and the pastoral ministry were the highest callings and they wished to see the world engulfed in worship of Jesus.

The Bible was a daily source of comfort and strength. She savoured and meditated upon God's word each day. Because her sight was so diminished, she had to be read to. I often wonder why God would take away the sight of a woman who so loved the Bible, while most of us, though seeing, do not treasure the Bible as we ought.

By her death, Mamy leaves a void in my life. She was a friend, a prayer-partner, a counselor and my grandmother. Though short in stature, she is high in my esteem. Her treasure was Jesus, and therefore, in heaven was her heart. She lived out Psalm 71:

    "Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." Psalm 71:18

Though dead, her life will continue to speak. Death was gain to her, so her life was well lived. If there is one thing she would want for each of us, is that we not waste our momentary earthly lives. 'The best is to come,' she told me recently and now that time has come for her.

Who is Jérémie K?

For those of you who have asked me, "who is Jérémie?" I thought I should explain as I'll be keeping tabs on him over the next two years. Jérémie K is my little brother. He's just joined OM onboard their new ship, the Logos Hope.

I guess he liked what he heard from my three years onboard the Doulos, but didn't want to join the same ship as his big brother! :-)