A Canadian man given up for adoption more than 30 years ago spent the holidays with his Bermudian family whom he met after years of searching for his biological father.

Both son Paul Lepik and father Jimmy Caines are no strangers to loss -- Paul's adoptive father died during the Christmas holiday last year and Jimmy's son James was the victim of the horrific Middletown murder two years ago.

But the two are counting their blessings -- because Paul says he has gained a second father, and Jimmy is thrilled to have discovered another son.

Paul Lepik was born to a Canadian woman and given up for adoption when he was only five days old.

His biological mother had been involved with Bermudian musician Jimmy Caines, who performed with the Apache O's and Joy Express band, when she visited Bermuda 31 years ago.

She became pregnant but returned to Canada without ever telling Mr. Caines about the pregnancy.

The woman bore a son who she gave up for adoption to a couple who raised the boy in Vancouver, Canada -- but Mr. Lepik said he became more and more curious about his biological parents as he grew older.

Finding his mother when he was 22-years-old was relatively easy -- they had both registered with Canadian organisations which helped unite children with parents separated through adoption.

But his mother didn't remember his father's name, and only had an 8x10 photo of him singing on stage with an unidentifiable initial and the name "Caines'' written on the back.

"Two-and-a-half years ago I hired a private eye, and he thought Bishop Caines (who is Jimmy's brother) was my dad -- but no one knew where he was,'' said Mr. Lepik.

"I placed an ad in the Bermuda Sun trying to find Bishop, and I used the Bermuda phone book on the Internet and phoned all of the people with the last name Caines.

"And I faxed a passport picture of me to Jimmy and a cousin of his, Stephen Caines.

"Stephen Caines told me I looked like a bus driver in town -- who turned out to be Bishop's son, my first cousin,'' he said.

"But when I faxed the picture I had of my father singing, (Jimmy Caines) said `This isn't Bishop, it's me!'.'' Mr. Caines, now known as Ali-Ash-Sheed, flew to Vancouver to meet his son and take a DNA test to make sure he was indeed the father.

The DNA test results, which came back on December 15, showed a Combined Paternity Index of 2,621 -- and any number greater than 400 means paternity is practically certain.

"The DNA test came back as 99.96 percent certain, which is practically proven -- but my dad said as soon as he showed up in Vancouver and saw me, he already knew,'' said Mr. Lepik.

"It filled me up right when I met him, and it pumped up my spirit,'' he added.

Mr. Lepik is spending the holidays with his newfound family, and has begun to learn more about Bermudian culture and his own personal history.

"My parents who adopted me were both Estonian -- there were five black people in the whole school of 1,500 children,'' he said.

"When I was growing up and when I went to college, there were mostly all white kids and all my parents' friends were European.

"So it's good to meet the other side of me, because sometimes you feel like you don't quite fit in...I think if I'd grown up here in Bermuda, I would've made some different choices,'' he added.

"But my adopted dad was great... he passed away last year, around the time we got the DNA tests back.

"I lost him, but I got two fathers in a lifetime.'' Some locals may recognise Mr. Lepik from a TV appearance in 1996's "World's Strongest Man'' competition.

He is currently living in Vancouver with wife Natasha, three-year-old son Pauli, and 11-week old daughter Annika and works as a residential property manager.

Mr. Lepik said he plans to apply for Bermuda status and begin spending more time with his newly discovered family of six brothers, one sister, four uncles, three aunts, grandparents and lots and lots of cousins.

And proud papa Ali-Ash-Sheed (Jimmy Caines) has been emotionally moved by the wonderful gift of a son he has been blessed with.

"God blesses who he pleases, when he pleases, and how he pleases,'' he said.

"I love all my children the same, but Paul is an example for his younger brothers.

"He's a great person and it just blew me away -- I can't stop crying,'' he added before breaking into happy tears.

"He's my son, I love him, and he's made me proud -- his adopted father and mother are like angels that guarded over my seed.''