Dear Ken,

I wish you (eternal) peace—from above the battleground.

As I am reading other ACIM students' tributes to Ken I find that what they have written about him also reflects what I have individually experienced and received from him. And isn't this what we are trying to learn as ACIM students? That we are all One; and therefore all of us are fully and equally deserving of the Love that was so freely passed around by Ken.

Ken, thank you so very much for being our beloved teacher. Without your crystal clear clarity I would not have understood the depth and importance of the Course (and of course I am still learning). I feel so lucky that I have attended one of your week end workshops, and was personally able to feel and experience your never wavering gentleness, and kindness. And your constant reminder not to forget to laugh.

I still feel deeply sad that Ken is no longer in this illusion, and I am no longer able to listen to him on a new YouTube, and perhaps receive a warm, loving hug at another workshop in Temecula. But this is not what Ken would want; so eventually I will have to let go of the sadness but not the gratitude that I feel for this beloved teacher.

Thank you for collecting our tributes to Ken.

I addressed Ken as "My Beloved Papa" and signed off as "Dear" when I wrote him because it was the most respectful way I could address him in my letters and it also reflected our spiritual parent/child relationship. Ken was a spiritual father figure to many, so in no way am I saying he was exclusively my Papa, rather it's the most accurate way of describing his role in my life. Thank you for understanding. Below is my submission:

My Beloved Papa,

Every day, and every minute of every day, you are in my heart.

You cannot die when I demonstrate that you did not die.

Your wisdom and Love are the steady glowing Lights that lead my heart Home.

You left a beautiful peaceful clear path Home for all of us to follow.

No worries ... I won't lose my way Home because I have your and Jesus' invisible Hand in mine.

Whatever the story has in store for us next, you can rest assured that I know that you know that I know it's only a story. Love is all there IS.

I haven't forgotten my math either.

You are a miracle worker, a living work of art, and an integral part of all that is good in my heart.

You raised me up so high at times Heaven held me in Its breath.

You will always be My Beloved Papa, my symbol of God's Love for me.

There are no endings in Love ... (smile!)

Dear,

Jenny Somers

I found the Course in 1986 through one of Gerald Jampolsky's books. I found a study group and someone had cassette tapes entitled "The Simplicity of Salvation." by Kenneth Wapnick. I made copies for myself and friends. (Full disclosure) Lots of book sharing went on in those years, too.

In 2007, I wrote a lullaby. Like most of the hymns in my fundamentalist upbringing, it contained a few too many verses. I sent Ken a CD of the lullaby, with a letter about how it came to be, and also telling him how his voice was a very calming influence to me. I was very touched when I received a reply from him, telling me which verses he liked. (so I could tell he actually listened to it) I was even more touched when he closed his letter by saying "Now I have your voice, too."

Soon after that, I was at the Apple store, learning how to download/upload music to an iPod nano. I brought along some CD sets which a friend bought for me in Temecula. My trainer located the FACIM website and said "Wow, this guy has a LOT of content!" (the trainer's word, I swear) I replied something like "Yes, he is the real deal. He has almost single handedly morphed western thought to a new level." This was a random teachable moment for both of us.

When my iPhone 5 arrived, (after driving over my iPhone 4 at a gas station) all of Ken's audio mp3s were re-synced to it, so his voice still calms me, in traffic or even when I am walking my dog.

Dear Ken,

I would like to express my deep gratitude for all you have done for us Course students. When ACIM fell into my lap—literally!—I felt that it will be my book even though I wasn't quite clear what it's all about. Then I discovered you, and you were a godsend to me for translating the meaning of the Course, both in Roscoe and in Switzerland.

In the past 20 years I have listened to innumerable tapes and videos you and your team made, and the YouTube video I'm always coming back to is entitled "Q & A: Transforming Darkness and Despair." It's so helpful.

You will always be my teacher as long as I'm identifying with this body of mine. Thank you so much,

Love,

Dieter Shoop

On that day it was my 36th birthday, and I was sitting with my fellow from the translators' team of A Course in Miracles, Martin Karlícek, and the typographic designer of the Czech version of the Course, Jarda Svoboda, in my new flat I moved in just a week ago. Martin was showing us his photos from the ACIM Translators' Gathering and from our journey to the United States. Me and Martin were telling Jarda about our experience from America because he was the "alternate candidate" for our trip who should have travelled instead of one of us in case anything unexpected happened (but as he doesn't like travelling he was quite happy to stay at home after all). We ended up speaking about Ken whom I, Martin, Karel and PK immortalized on many photos in Tiburon. As usual we were thinking about his surname which in the Old Czech meant "limestone" and which is up to now commonly used in Slavonic languages in Eastern Europe as a family name or a city, village or castle name. Already before our gathering in Tiburon we considered Ken to be a descendant of our fellow countrymen and we haven't been far from the truth–in Tiburon Ken told me that his family probably came from Wapnik, a small town in Poland which is only a few kilometers far from the historical town Königsberg, the birthplace of Immanuel Kant. (Ken himself was well acquainted with our part of Europe; during his lecture in Tiburon I was pleased by the fact that he knew that Sigmund Freud was born in our country, in today's Czech Republic, in the town named Príbor.)

Unlike some of my friends who had known Ken's books and listened to his lectures before, I knew Ken only as a "man on the other end of the line" who was answering dozens and dozens of my questions concerning the meaning nuances of the individual phrases in the Course. Later on we spoke about that on the board of the boat Empress, and I was pleased by Ken saying: "I remember your questions. They were clever. I realized that you are the right guy to do this job." There was one more thing which we had in common and which we spoke about. I don't know why but it just happens that if the Holy Spirit wants to send me a friend He sends me an Italian, thanks to which I have a special relationship to the Italians. One morning during breakfast in Tiburon I told this to Isabella Popani, and Ken who happened to be passing by leaned down, smiled and said: "I have it like that, too!", and he hugged his Italian wife Gloria.

I watched Ken from the beginning of our visit to Tiburon and I have to say: the main genuineness of his healing love was in something else than in his words (which surprised me because I knew he is a psychologist and a teacher who usually heal with words). Ken's love was in touching. During the few days in Tiburon I was watching dozens and dozens of cases when Ken approached someone and touched them; he usually put his arm around their shoulders, hugged them or took them by hand. I felt that the Holy Spirit is healing people through Ken's touches. I personally felt that during my "touching encounters" with Ken all my mental blocks were falling from me and I was getting closer and closer to myself. I experienced the last holy encounter of this kind on the board of Empress, and after that I felt all mental blocks falling from me which partly manifested itself by a burst in tears which some of you who were there maybe saw. It was also my last encounter with Ken.

Thank you, Ken, for your hands.

Dear Ken,

When I first heard of your passing, my heart grieved and I shed my tears. I came to realize just how much a part of my life you are. I was privileged to have many visits to Roscoe, NY, and I loved the one trip I made to Temecula. When I began an ACIM study group in Syracuse, NY, I started with the "Manual for Teachers," and utilized your "Journey through the Manual." I have read your books, listened to your talks, and have been nurtured by your kind and loving presence. This year I began the workbook again for the eighth time, and your "Journey through the Workbook" is my companion. You will continue to be a significant part of my life.

Thank you for all you have given us, my teacher. I am one student of many, but happy to be among those who filled a small place in your life.

May we meet again in the Light, where you surely now reside.

Cold

Papa is very mad at me. I left the barn
door open and all the ducks flew to the wintr creek.
They frooz. Papa cut them out of the ice with his ax and I carred
the boy duck. The cow pastur is long and there
are bigsnow piles and not a path. My teeth wer jumping
and it was dark but I could see way in front the kerosun
lantrn in papas hand. I was a hundred miles from crying.
I nevr cryed but that yellow light was like love in the snow.
Ana, age 8, 1939.

Ken's reply" "Perfect love is all there is, everything else is borscht." Is that not a treasure?

Dr. Kenneth Wapnick was a wonderful teacher of A Course in Miracles. Ken taught with great clarity, love and humor...brought the scholarship of a well trained mind and psychological insights of a therapist to his teachings and writings on ACIM.

In the early 90's I attended many workshops at FACIM, then located in Roscoe, NY. FACIM was established to teach a deeper understanding and appreciation of the theology of the Course...and Ken was a master teacher.

Through Ken's teaching of ACIM my way thinking has been forever changed. As a fellow student once said...attending a workshop at Roscoe brought memories of ancient worlds where the great philosophers played with ideas.

But Ken was not only a master teacher, he was a perpetual student of ACIM. Through his daily practice he brought new insights into his teaching.

Thank you Ken for your dedication to and teaching of ACIM.

With love and gratitude,

Joyce E. Storms

Lesson 185, "I want the peace of God"

When I first heard Ken had passed away I felt a great loss. Why do I feel a hole suddenly open up in me? Who will lead us now? Who will continue to interpret what Jesus has given us in the course?

The answer that eventually came to me was "we must carry on". I can take solace in knowing Ken has left US with many invaluable, uncluttered, straight-forward insights to help us "carry on" along our path. I think of us all as budding teachers of God with many lessons to learn and understand as students, thanks to Ken, we had our first teacher of God.

I have never looked back. My wondering days as a seeker of truth ended in 2007 when through a process of circumstances I found ACIM and Ken. Ken's clarity of explaining what Jesus is teaching us in the course has led me farther along the path than I could have ever done on my own.

I feel truly honored, blessed and grateful to be around at this point in time to have seen the beginnings of ACIM and Ken. Thank you Ken and everyone involved who have unselfishly given their time and insight and love to advancing this course to everyone.

Ken, you have brought us closer to our wish of lesson 185, may it someday become our will.

Grace and peace be with all.