This memorial website was created in memory of Jacob J Nyenhuis who was born in Florida on April 21, 1988 and was killed in a car accident on September 24, 2006 at the age of 18.  To learn more about Jacob, scroll down to the "About Jacob" section.

Please view the new Youtube video created in memory of Jacob by Hannah at:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=NFYHhz6MsNE

Happy 20th Birthday, Jacob!

     April 21st was Jacob's 20th birthday. We decided to mark the day by going to the site of the accident.  Back in September, shortly before the one-year anniversary, a beautiful cross was placed at the site by some special friends. For the anniversary, we planted wildflower seeds around the cross.  In remembrance of Jacob and his 20th birthday, we planted more wildflower seeds at the site.  

     As we got started, a man in a truck pulled up and asked if we needed any help.  Michael (Jacob's Dad) explained to him why we were there and what we were doing.  Realizing who we were, this man introduced himself as a local volunteer fire fighter who was a first responder the night of the accident.  He was the first professional help to arrive, approximately five minutes after the accident took place.  He detailed for us what he saw that night as he approached the car, Jacob's position in the vehicle, and what took place over the next 10 to 15 minutes after he arrived.  He actually helped get Jacob out of the vehicle and ready for the paramedics who arrived shortly thereafter.  Jacob was still alive, but unconscious.

     As of April 21, 2008, we had only spoken to the trooper who did the accident investigation.  We had never spoken to anyone who was there while the boys were still in the car.  We cried to hear the details, but those details also brought us great comfort and peace to know what Jacob's final minutes were like.  This kind man, who just so happened to stop by as we planted wildflower seeds, was able to assure us that Jacob never suffered, just as we had hoped.  As we made our way through the difficult emotions of Jacob's birthday, we felt like we were blessed by an angel who brought us word and knowledge of Jacob's last breaths on this earth.  We were the ones who received a gift on this birthday.  Thank you, God!!

     When we arrived home late in the evening, Raleigh (Jacob's sister) asked to open the present we had bought for Jacob.  Of course, we knew Jacob was no longer here to open it, but for us, getting a special gift for him was important to do.  We had asked Raleigh to open the gift in his place.  Before opening the gift and cards, Michael wanted to light the candle we always have burning in our home in memory of Jacob.  As he lit the candle, I (Jacob's Mom) began singing "Happy Birthday."  However, I stopped only a few words into the song because of a sound that was louder than my voice and was rather unusual and unexpected.  We all stopped and listened to what sounded like a harmonica.  Whatever the sound, it was harmonic in nature, not monotone, and was quite loud, but pleasing.  It seemed to originate from one corner of the room.  When the sound stopped, we all (including Raleigh's boyfriend, Alex) stared at one another in amazement.  Michael finally broke the silence with, "What the heck was that?"  We all laughed but nearly cried at the same time.  While we quickly tried to explain it away, we all knew deep down inside we had just experienced something very special. The veil between Heaven and Earth parted briefly, and it was wonderful.  What had we heard?  Sounds from Heaven?  Jacob playing his harmonica that he had as a child?  Who knows?

     As Jacob's birthday celebration continued, we hung our new Georgia Bulldog flag out front in honor and memory of Jacob, and we enjoyed Jacob's favorite birthday dessert, cheesecake. He didn't care much for ordinary birthday cake.  Of course, there was nothing ordinary about Jacob.  He was and continues to be, even in death, an extraordinary young man.  Happy birthday son!  We love you!

He Is Risen Indeed!
     On Easter Sunday, we rejoiced in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Throughout the day, God showed us that He is alive and orchestrating beautiful moments in our lives despite the incredible heartache of no longer having Jacob here with us in the way he used to be.  We sensed God saying, "Jacob is still with you, but he is also here with me, living a glorious life!"  Here are some of the special moments:

• Before church, I was listening to the Christian radio station and enjoying a cup of coffee.  Just before I headed off to the shower and just as Michael was returning from his morning run, the song "Legacy" by Nicole Nordeman began playing.  To me, that was a sweet wink from God and Jacob.  When our family traveled together, one of our favorite artists that we all enjoyed listening to was Nicole Nordeman.  Her song, "Legacy" was one we all loved.  Now that Jacob has died, his legacy is the life and faith he lived just as the song says.  You can play the song by clicking on the title to the right.  Be patient.  It will play eventually.
•  Michael sat next to a man at church who was from Atlanta.  He and his wife had just bought a second home on the island.  He had meant to attend the contemporary worship service but found himself in the traditional service instead.  We normally attend the contemporary service but decided to attend the traditional service for Easter.  In a very brief conversation, this man stated that he was meant to be seated next to Michael for a reason.  He went on to tell Michael of a man in Atlanta who became wealthy through real estate development (think Jacob here) and he had formed a foundation that supported microcredit work.  That was Jacob's dream-to become wealthy through real estate development and form a foundation to help the poor.  Michael never mentioned anything about Jacob to this gentleman.
• After church, we walked down to the shore.  As Michael, Raleigh, and I stood there talking and laughing, I spotted a dolphin no more than 20 feet offshore.  In 11 1/2 years of living here, this is only the second time Michael and I have seen one so close to shore.  The dolphin swam back and forth right in front of us, popping up for air and to get a good look at us.  We knew Jacob was right there, applauding God for moving one of His beautiful creatures to come near and capture our attention.
• That afternoon, we joined a couple we know who lost their 14-year-old daughter Tori, their only child, in a car accident last Easter.  They had decided to gather with friends and family at her gravesite this Easter to say a prayer and release several balloons with personal notes attached to each one.  We watched as the balloons took off in the breeze until we could no longer see them.  Moments later, I looked up and saw the word, "Hi" written up in the sky.  These were not just marks left from jets passing overhead.  These were long, thin clouds that spelled out the word.  They were perfectly straight and the horizontal line in the "H" was right in between the two vertical lines.  It was stunning!  The clouds then blurred slightly and you could see what looked like angel's wings.  At the very bottom of the wings you could see a cross.  We had several people there who witnessed this beautiful display.  Granted, Tori would have been more likely to say, "Hey y'all!" but we were thrilled with a simple "Hi" from Heaven.
• Later that afternoon, Michael and I went for a walk on the beach, but the wind was too brisk, so we decided to drive down to the village and walk in a more sheltered area.  As we walked past some cars, we were stunned to see a license plate that said, "HEAVEN4."  Our understanding of Heaven has become so important since Jacob's death.  We long for Heaven.  Those who attended Jacob's memorial service will remember that our family motto is, "We are a family of 4."  "HEAVEN4" just made us smile.  Two cars over was a beautiful Honda S-2000 just like Jacob's, same color and all.  Wow!  We usually only see an S-2000 once every week or two.  The day before we dropped lunch off for Raleigh at her place of work.  Parked right in front of the store where she works was a beautiful, brand new S-2000.  It didn't even have a license plate yet.  Same color as Jacob's!
  

J9 Mentors Going to Africa!!
On September 25th, the day after the 2nd anniversary of Jacob's death, a team of J9 Mentors will be traveling to Africa to work side-by-side with the J9 Entrepreneurs in Kenya.  We are so excited about this trip coming together.  God is moving in mighty ways within The J9 Foundation.  You can learn more about the mentor program at the foundation website www.j9foundation.org or www.heartforafrica.org. Heart for Africa is the organization that will be coordinating the trip.  They are excited to be partnering with The J9 Foundation to offer business entrepreneurs an opportunity to use their God-given gifts to help others rise up out of poverty.

     Thank you for visiting this website.  We hope you will light a candle to let us know you were here.

     Have you experienced Jacob's presence or heard his voice since September 24, 2006?  We certainly have, and we would love to hear anything the rest of you may have experienced.  Some of you have already shared on this website or in person the ways you have experienced Jacob since his death.  We have come to believe that heaven is not that far away and that God allows heaven and earth to touch just briefly in beautiful ways in order to comfort and strengthen us.  You can read about some of the dreams and visions we and various friends have had at "His Legacy."  You can also read about some of our experiences that seem like more than just coincidence.  
      We thank you for the ways you have kept Jacob's memory alive.  He is still very much a part of our lives today.  Our desire is to hear about him and speak about him often.  We will never forget him and hope you never will either.  Blessings to all of you!
                        -Jacob's Family of Four Forever!

About Jacob

Jacob always had a smile on his face and a kind word to share.  As a son, he was a source of pride and a pure joy to be around.  As a brother, he was loving, thoughtful, and very protective.  As a friend, he was always there with a listening ear and wise advice.  

On May 26, 2006, Jacob graduated from high school with honors.  His classmates voted him "Most Likely to Succeed."  He was already well on his way to a successful career in real estate, having bought and sold his first piece of property at the young age of 15.  Jacob gladly shared his gift of making money with friends and family.  He gave money to a relative faced with financial difficulties.  He gave the entire profit he made from the sale of some land to his friend in order to help him buy a car.  He wanted to make a difference in this world by helping to improve the lives of others through his attitude and actions.

Jacob was a freshman at the University of Georgia.  He absolutely loved being an official Bulldog.  His plan was to major in real estate at the Terry College of Business at UGA while also running his own company, J9 Development.  

Most important, Jacob had a deep, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He enjoyed going to church and going on trips with his youth group over the years.  Some wonderful friendships were forged through those trips.  During his first week at college, Jacob found a church, Prince Avenue Baptist, a church that has a great ministry for college-aged kids.  He attended each Sunday he was in town, which ended up being only four of them.  The last Sunday he was there he saw Mark Richt, the coach of the UGA football team.  He thought it was great that they attended the same church.  He called my husband and me to tell us all about it.

On Friday, September 22, 2006 Jacob came home for a weekend visit.  What a blessing it was to hear his voice and the voices of his friends fill the house again.  He attended the high school football game, spent hours at the beach with friends, ate at his favorite restaurant, and watched his beloved Bulldogs play on TV.  A special highlight for Jacob was hearing that Mark Richt had done a special in-depth interview that was aired that day in which he spoke very openly of his faith in God and Jesus Christ.

Jacob was able to enjoy his favorite homemade meal of pork tenderloin, angel hair pasta with parmesan cheese, broccoli and rolls.  As we sat together enjoying dinner, he told us how excited he was about his philosophy class.  He loved that his professor had used a form of logical reasoning to explain the existence of God.  Jacob knew he didn't need anyone to claim the existence of God through philosophical reasoning, but he thought it was great that his professor had done it.  I smiled as I thought how his professor would likely use similar reasoning to disprove the existence of God during the next lecture.

That weekend, Jacob shared with us for the first time that he enjoyed dancing.  He didn't say he was good, but he sure loved doing it.  He even had a video clip on his cell phone from a club that a lot of the college kids liked.  He showed me that clip a couple of times throughout the weekend.  I laughed as I recalled how much I used to love to dance at clubs with my friends.  (My husband and I are now taking dance lessons in honor of Jacob's love for dancing.)

Sunday, September 24th started like most Sunday mornings with our family attending church together.  We even sang one of our favorite songs with the words, "God let us be a generation that seeks your face, O God of Jacob."  After church, Jacob took the dogs outside and I joined him out on the back porch for about 30 minutes.  We talked about life, school, girls, and even about what happens when we get to heaven.  After a lunch of homemade tacos, he headed out to the beach with his friend Matt.  It was a beautiful, sunny day with mild temepratures--a perfect day to fall asleep on the beach.  By the time they woke up, went home to take showers and got packed up, it was getting kind of late.  They had a  4 1/2 hour drive back to Athens.

As Jacob was saying goodbye, we told him over and over how much we loved him and enjoyed having him home with us.  He was going to be coming back the next weekend, in part to attend the funeral of one of his classmates, A.J., who died of bone cancer the day before on September 23rd.  We had not yet heard when the funeral would be held, but figured it would probably be that weekend.  My husband, Jacob, and I prayed together for A.J.'s family.  I broke down in tears at the thought of losing a child.  I asked somewhat rhetorically, "How does a parent let go of a child?  How does a mother let go of her son?"  I apologized to Jacob for crying so hard.  He understood.

At one point as we were hugging each other, I stepped back and looked into Jacob's face and thought, "Who is this young man?"  He looked so handsome with his fresh tan and bright smile.  He and Matt had made a habit of working out at the gym on campus, and the evidence of that was beginning to show.  He looked taller, stronger, and more handsome than ever before.  My heart was bursting with love, joy, pride, etc. as any mother's heart would.

Although he was late getting on the road, Jacob seemed to linger.  It was almost as though he didn't want to leave.  We had already hugged and said our goodbyes, but he was in no hurry to dash out the door like he normally was.  I remember looking at him in the doorway with his Georgia shirt, sunglasses, and backpack.  He looked like a typical college student.  

He walked out the door, got in his car, and put the top down.  His sister and I watched him as he drove off.  The sky was clear blue, he had his sunglasses on and the wind was in his hair.  Jacob was on top of the world!  Jacob's motto, which can still be found on his cell phone to this day, was "The glass is full!"  There was no half-empty or half-full debate in Jacob's mind.  The glass was full.

A little while later, Jacob and his friend Matt drove off from Matt's house.  Even Matt's parents thought as they watched the two drive off after praying together with the boys that these guys were living life to the full.  They were at the peak of their game, so to speak.

Nothing could stop them.  Except the rain. . .

Four hours down the road, the sun had set and dark storm clouds had moved into central Georgia.  Back on the island it was still perfectly clear.  A torrent of rain came down on Hwy 15 just south of Greensboro.  Water began pooling up on the road.  One puddle of water was exceptionally deep and wide due to a dip in the road.  Suddenly, Jacob's vehicle began to  hydroplane.  The car started to spin counter-clockwise and crossed over into the oncoming lane.  The driver of a large Dodge Ram truck heading in the opposite direction barely had time to react.  The two vehicles collided.  Due to the force and location of the impact, Jacob's car was jerked into a clockwise spin and ended up in the ditch on the opposite side of the road.

The trooper who was responding to the call also experienced hydroplaning while he was heading to the accident site and did not arrive until the boys were already taken to the hospital.  Despite horrible conditions, a rescue vehicle was able to respond quickly because the vehicle and crew were nearby.  Even so, Jacob died on the way to the hospital.  To this day, I don't know the exact cause of death.  All I know is that his sweet head was wrapped in an inch thick of gauze, and the right side of his face was bruised when I saw him.

Three nights after the accident, a woman whom I have known for years, but had not seen for a long time, had a dream.  Jacob came to her and said, "Tell my mom I'm OK, and I'm learning a new dance and I'm dancing with Jesus!"  She said it was extremely vivid, not like a typical dream.  That same night, which also happened to be the night Matthew was having a life-saving surgery, the trooper who did the accident investigation had what he could only describe as a supernatural experience involving Jacob and Matthew.  He had never experienced anything like it before.  Knowing the seriousness of Matthew's surgery, the trooper began talking to Jacob, telling him that he knew Jacob did not want Matthew to die.  The trooper asked Jacob to allow him to help Matthew make it through the surgery, if there was anything he could possibly do.  Just then, the trooper began feeling a tingling sensation move from the top of his head to the bottom of his chest.  (FYI Matthew experienced severe head injuries and a punctured lung--the exact areas of the body the trooper felt the tingling sensation.)  He inhaled deeply then collapsed against the wall and began crying.  The trooper had no idea what had just happened.  He had prayed like this for other accident victims but never experienced anything along with those prayers.  While this professional law enforcement officer was normally able to separate himself from his work that he had been committed to for 20 years, he said for some reason he could not get Jacob and Matthew off his mind.  There was simply something different about those two boys according to him.  He was absolutely right!

Jacob's funeral ended up being held on Saturday, September 30th, the day we thought he would be home to attend the funeral of his friend.  It was also Parent's Weekend at UGA, but I had called to cancel our reservation when we got word about the death of AJ.  We knew it was more important for Jacob to be home with his friends for the funeral.  But we never imagined it would be his own funeral we would be attending.

Jacob's dear friend, Matthew, experienced severe head trauma, but miraculously survived the accident.  He didn't suffer any broken bones elsewhere in his body.  On the night of the accident, he was transferred to a medical facility that had a trauma center.  Matthew was in the ICU for weeks literally hanging on to life.  By the grace of God, his body healed well enough to be moved to a rehabilitation facility where he worked hard every single day to regain his strength and mobility as well as his cognitive processing.  Today, Matthew is living at home and attending the local community college.  His physical healing has been a series of miracles.  His cognitive healing is progressing as well.  His short term memory has yet to be fully restored, so we ask for anyone who is reading this to please say a prayer for Matthew to continue to show evidence of healing in this area.  The prayers you have prayed already on Matthew's behalf have brought him far beyond what the doctors and nurses ever imagined.  Our hope is that they recognize God's hand in all of this.  It has now been twenty months.  We believe further healing can still take place, so don't stop praying.

We miss Jacob more and more every day.  We continue to grow in our realization of how much we have lost.  He was a light in a dark world, in large part, because he knew Jesus Christ, the Light who entered this world over 2,000 years ago.  Because of Jesus, we have the hope and joy of knowing that we will be with Jacob again in heaven, where life is more abundant and tangible than any we have ever known here on this earth.  Praise God!


Christmas with Jacob

While Jacob was not here in the flesh this Christmas, he was most definitely here in spirit.  All three of us (Mom, Dad, and sister Raleigh) felt him.  We felt like a family of four even though only three of us were visible to our eye.  We sensed where he was sitting and the things he was pointing out to us as we drove in the car or walked around.  We don't really know how to explain this to anyone other than to say that he was present.  Jesus is the ultimate gift of Christmas, but God saw fit to give us the gift of Jacob's presence this Christmas.  He may have done that last year as well, but we were so overcome with grief, it was hard to be aware of anything but the pain and loneliness we felt.

In the past, celebrating Christmas with Jacob was such a joy.  He never lost his excitement for this time of year.  He loved the family time we would always share at Thanksgiving in North Carolina.  Even at 17 years of age, he loved spending time in the toy store in downtown Brevard, NC.  We would finish our trip with a stop at the Christmas tree farm where we would select the "perfect" tree and cut it down.  Jacob had such a good eye for finding just the right one.  He would painstakingly search the hills for our tree.  While the rest of us were content with what we had already found, Jacob had to search a little bit more.  In the end, he always found the best one.

Jacob enjoyed decorating the house.  We would all listen to Christmas music as we went around putting up various decorations and putting the final touches on the Christmas tree.  He and Raleigh loved getting their own little tree to decorate.  It was their pride and joy.

As the gifts were being placed under the tree throughout the month of December, Jacob and Raleigh loved to examine each one and try to guess what the packages contained.  Their excitment would grow every day.

On Christmas Eve, our family always enjoyed homemade pizza together.  A little odd for Christmas perhaps, but it was a tradition started when Jacob was just a toddler.  Pizza was something Jacob loved, so we made that our Christmas Eve fare.  While we made homemade pizza all year round, the Christmas Eve pizza always tasted better somehow.  Jacob and Raleigh were both allowed to choose one gift to open before going to church.  They would usually pick something small to open, hoping to keep the best stuff for later.  We loved attending the Christmas Eve service together, receiving communion, and finishing with the candlelit singing of Silent Night.  Our hearts were in the right position to continue our celebration of the birth of Christ.  Dad would read the Christmas story from the book of Luke in the Bible.  How important it is to remember why we celebrate the Christmas holiday--the birth of a child from Heaven who came to dwell among us.  The precious gifts of the wise men help to put the tradition of gift giving in the right perspective.  We give gifts to honor one another, recognizing how special each of us is.  With our hearts and minds prepared, we would begin opening presents, one at a time.

Jacob always showed such appreciation for each gift he received.  If he didn't like a gift, no one would ever have known, because he always expressed genuine gratitude for every little thing.  He would give a hug and/or kiss to the giver after each gift.  The excitement he would show always left the rest of us with smiles on our faces.  The joy we already felt in the giving was magnified by his joy.

We miss having Jacob with us in the way we were used to, but we are grateful for such wonderful memories.  Eighteen years of precious Christmas celebrations that we will never forget or regret.  Moments shared that were filled with pure love and joy.  It is hard to go on in a new way, but we feel him with us.  We felt him from the early morning of Christmas Eve right through to Christmas night.  The sense of his presence ended a little after 11pm, as we finished watching a movie Jacob loved.  As a family, our love for one another is so great, that it transcends the veil between Heaven and Earth.  No, we are not more special than anyone else, but we believe that our love and faith has allowed us to remain connected even after death.  Merry Christmas Jacob!  Merry Christmas to all of you!