Remembering Nick..................

Well, I knew this week would be hard.

The one-year anniversary of saying "bye" to Nick is almost here.

Trying hard to soak in the good memories. Also trying hard to push down the tough ones.

Thankful for all that we have been able to do in Nick's memory.

Thankful for all of you who have prayed us through this year.

Much love,
Tammy and Tim

ORPHANAGE PROJECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The yard sale was a wonderful success!!!

At this time the total is a little over $1700 with more to come in this week!!! Thank you, Lord!!!

Thank you to everyone who prayed, organized, sold, donated, or helped in any other way!!

We are intensifying our efforts to raise the funds for Mid-India's Orphanage! Our goal is to have a check for $60,000 for them by the end of December!

We are now close to $3,000!

If your church would like us to come share on a Sunday evening, please let us know. We can bring a power point and share the India story.

If you would like to make a donation, please send your gift to

NYN Foundation
PO Box 411
Grayson, KY 41143

or click on the donate button to the right.

We will have your name added to a plaque that will hang in the dining hall in Damoh, India.

Thank you for every prayer for this project. I know that God will bless all who become part of it!

Maybe you would even like to do a yard sale in your area for the orphanage! I'll gladly send pictures and info to anyone who would like to do a fundraiser in your area!!

Thank you for allowing our family to share life with yours.

Tammy and Tim

Nick's Forever Updates......Latest email

Dearest Friends and Family,

I always try to wait til I have some "real news" before emailing you. I know how busy life is and our "inbox" can get so full every day!

I did want to share just a couple of prayer requests. Jared, a little boy from our area, is not doing well at all physically in his battle with brain cancer. Please lift up his family. Julie, a little girl from our area will be undergoing brain surgery for seizures very soon. Please pray that the surgery goes well and helps her with her condition. Sam is a little boy from the Columbus area who is in a big fight with cancer right now too.

Our family continues to face each new day without Nick in the best way that we can.

Many days are so busy that I almost feel as if Nick is in the midst of them somewhere and I just happen to be in a different room or different location. Then other days when things are quiet, I realize he's really not here. I see a video game controller laying in the same position that has been for weeks and know that Nick's not here to play it. I walk into his room and realize that nothing has been moved. I see his friends laughing or planning their next big event and I want to see Nick in the huddle and can't. I go to the store and see his favorite snack or drink and want so desperately to put it in my cart......those are the things that get me.

But then, thankfully, I remember God's promises. And I realize that NICK IS GREAT! He is right where we all long to be......without need for entertainment, video games, snacks.........He is in the Presence of the Almighty God feasting at His banqueting table! How could I ever long for him to be back here. No, it's more of a longing for God to come take us all Home.

And then my mind goes to those who I know are not where they need to be with God, and I feel guilty for longing for the world to end. So many have not accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. What will it take? I want to tell them how freeing it is to just let go fo this world's problems and cling to the One who can carry them through. I want to make the decision for them, but I can't.

So I just pray. And while I'm praying, I try so hard to just live for Him-trusting that He will continue to carry me and our family through our grief. I know He is faithful. He never promised it would be easy.

Today and tomorrow are Fall Break for Todd and Olivia. And we are getting ready for a HUGE YARD SALE that will take place Saturday right across the street from First Church of Christ! People have been donating things for MONTHS! I am a little overwhelmed at how many things we have received, but I am so excited to know that every penny we make will go to the orphanage project in Damoh, India!

Every quarter, every dollar..........will be sent straight to India to help build a kitchen and dining hall for the kids there who now have no place to really sit together and eat a meal. Kids who are all disabled in some way....blind, deaf, missing arms or legs.

Oh, I am praying that this yard sale will be a testament to the love people have deep inside them!

Please come by if you are in the area and if nothing else, buy a .50 cent shirt or something to give to someone who needs clothes! I just know that God will take our little offerings and make them a huge blessing!!!

See you Saturday!!

Anytime between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.!!!

Across the road from First Church of Christ, on the corner of 2nd and Pomeroy Street!!!

Love to all of you and as always, thank you for every prayer you lift for our family.

In Him,
Tammy Nischan
www.tammynischan.blogspot.com
JOSHUA 1:9
Phil. 4:4

Yard sale....just a week away!!

I can't believe that in just one week we'll be having our HUGE YARD SALE to raise money for the orphanage in India.

I am so thankful for all who have donated and for all who have offered to come help!

Pray for sunshine!

Nick Nook decals are ready now too, so we should be delivering our bookshelves within the next two weeks!

Oh, and the Nicholas Yancy Nischan Foundation Holy Bears arrived today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are adorable!

I'll add pictures soon!!!

Love you all,
Tammy

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. We still need them so desperately!!!

YARD SALE QUICKLY APPROACHING!

THE NYN FOUNDATION COMMUNITY YARD SALE IS IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

Hundreds of items have been donated!!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE ORPHANAGE IN INDIA TO HELP BUILD THE KITCHEN AND DINING HALL!

Stop by if you can!!

Right across the street from First Church of Christ on 2nd and Pomeroy Street, Grayson, KY!

Thank you for all of your prayers!

Our First Scholarship Recipient!!!

We were so excited to present the first NYN Foundation Ministry Scholarship to Shane and Sarah Buchanan.

Shane is an amazing young man who has already proven to have the heart of a minister.

Nick would be so proud!

We look forward to watching this young couple venture out into the world to make a wonderful difference for the Kingdom!!

HUGE YARD SALE COMING UP OCTOBER 3rd!

Well, the Nick Nooks are just about ready to deliver to area doctor's offices and hospital waiting rooms! The decals look amazing! Thank you, Dave Bennett and Speedy Signs!!!

I've mailed several Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes and a Basket of Hope in the past couple of weeks.

Tim and I went to a retreat this weekend for couples who have lost children. Wow! It was unbelievably moving and sooooooo good for both of us. Eleven other couples were there, and we made lifelong friends with others who are hurting just like us. I am so thankful.

I wanted to let everyone know that on Saturday, October 3rd, we will be having a HUGE yard sale where all proceeds will be going to the India Orphanage Project! Donations are welcome! We are so excited about this day!!!

If you would like to help, please email me at tammynischan@yahoo.com!!! I would be so happy to have you with us!!!

God bless you all!

Have a wonderful week!

So sorry for such a delay in posting news.......

I popped over here today thinking that I hadn't updated Nick's site in a week or so, and I was so shocked to see that my last blog entry was in June.....

Before Nickapalooza!!

I am so sorry.

I wrote about Nickapalooza on my blog www.tammynischan.blogspot.com and never came here to add the news!

Since then, our family has been in a whirlwind of activities that seem to have come to an almost-end now that school has started.

I just wanted to touch base and let you know that we are still delivering Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes to families who lose children, we are still delivering Baskets of Hope but need to get a more organized system for getting this accomplished, we are still working towards our goal of $60,000 to help the orphanage in India, and we are waiting for the backboards of our Nick Nooks so that we can deliver those to area doctors and hospitals.

The next BIG thing is going to be a NYN Foundation yard sale. The date has not yet been set, but we are accepting donations for the rest of this month. If you have anything that you would like to donate, please call me at 606-316-4372 and we will work out a time to meet at the church to store the items.

If you would like to donate towards the orphanage project, please email me when you make your donation so that your name can be added to the plaque which will hang in the cafeteria of the orphanage in Damoh, India.

Thank you for continuing to support Nick's foundation with your prayers, time, and energy.

Nick's life is still making a difference, and we are so thankful!

Promising to stay better connected than last time,


Tammy (and Tim)

PS We have also selected our first two recipients of the Nicholas Yancy Nischan Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 each, and I will add their pictures and a little about each of them as soon as we present the gifts!

Email I Sent to our Many Prayer Warriors Today....

Dear Friends and Family,

I cannot believe that today marks 7 months of living without our sweet-smiling Nick. I have tried to think of how to put into words how much we miss him, but honestly words seem meaningless when I think of the ache we still carry in our hearts daily. I often pull his precious and somewhat well-known hat out of the top drawer of my desk and just hold it close to my face hoping that just a hint of his presence will somehow soak into my senses.

I just don't know how I would face each new day without the hope of Heaven. I truly don't. I've tried to sit and imagine life without a Creator and without a bigger purpose than this often pain-filled planet, and it takes my breath away to even think about such a cold, sad, depressing existence.

I think I've talked Tim into heading to the North American Christian Convention for the rest of this week......he needs some restoration, fellowship, inspiration, and time away from the everyday routine here at home. So if you are planning to attend (it is in Louisville), keep your eye open for Tim. He'll be around somewhere, and I am so thankful. Nick was Tim's football-loving, kindred-spirited son, and life is just so different here with ESPN and NFL Network rarely ever on. I don't know how to fill that void for Tim honestly except to just pray for him and trust that somehow God will redeem Tim's great loss.....which I know God can and will do in His time.

I don't write nearly as often as I use to. It's not because we don't need your prayers or because I have forgotten all of you. It's really more about the fact that I know that all of you have ups and downs in your own lives, and I never want to overplay ours as if our pain and grief somehow should surpass your life joys and struggles. I have turned to blogging as an almost-daily outlet for my heart. In this way I know that people can "choose" to check in on us and not have their inbox invaded so frequently!

I did want to send a note for a couple of reasons, though.

First, I wanted to let you all know that Nickapalooza is NEXT SATURDAY, July 11th, (7-11-09), at the Carter County Fairgrounds in Grayson, KY. Wristbands are $11 at the gate as well as at Farmer's Hardware in Grayson. I hope that some of you can make it! We now have 12 bands performing and are so excited and thankful! You can also contact Melissa Brooks at melissabrooks10@hotmail.com for more information or if you would like to set up a booth of any kind as a fundraiser for a church or organization.

Second, I wanted to share with you that Basket of Hope is off and running! We have delivered 4 baskets so far and are thankful that because of your gifts to Nick's foundation as well as the generosity of Mike Furrey's foundation, we have been able to open the first branch of Basket of Hope in the state of Kentucky!!!

Third, the only things still needed for the Nick Nooks is the graphics display for the top of each nook!!! As soon as these come in and are mounted, we will be delivering the nooks to area hospitals and doctor's offices!!

Fourth, we have mailed out eight Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes so far and have several more to deliver. We are reminded way too frequently that we are not the only parents who are grieving the loss of a child.

Fifth, we were able to support Relay for Life this year with gifts of nearly $1500 from the foundation because of your outpouring of love!

Sixth, after our trip to India we have had time to pray and process all that we saw and learned and have determined that one of the goals of Nick's foundation is to take the lead in raising the funds necessary for building a kitchen and dining hall that can serve 100 children at a time (as well as storage area for food) for the orphanage in Damoh, India, which is going to be named Joshua's Place in memory of Nick's favorite memory verse! The total funds needed for this building project is $60,000. While this sounds overwhelming in light of our economy, I feel that God gave me the following simple equation while lying in bed one morning several weeks ago:

If 2,000 people can each sacrifice $30, the building project can totally be completed!!!! That doesn't seem so overwhelming! I just love the way God uses a little to make a lot! He is the Master of taking what we may consider insufficient (like the little boy's fish and loaves and bread) and making it more than sufficient (like when He used that small amount of food to feed thousands!)

If you are interested in joining forces with us in this venture, please go to Nick's foundation website www.nicholasyancynischanfoundation.blogspot.com for more details. Be sure to give us your name or whoever's name you would like placed on the plaque which we will be having made to hang in the dining hall in India. We have already been given over $400 for this project and have several hundred other dollars committed! I do believe that God can build this building using all of us as His tools! I can't think of anything that would make Nick happier than to know that children who have no home of their own will have a safe and pleasant place to eat their meals each day.

I send this email letter with all the love and passion of any letter I ever wrote during Nick's long and courageous fight with cancer.

I am still heartbroken that our prayers were not answered in the way we desperately desired. However, I cling to the truth that God loves Nick more than we ever could have and because of His great love for Nick, I have to believe that Nick is GREAT! That makes me smile.

I love you all so much and still thank you for your love and prayers for our family.

Erich is in Africa for the summer and loving it! He is working as a nurse in a clinic in Nairoibi and will be home around August 3rd.
Evan is working at Morehead State University as a summer camp counselor and comes home every weekend.
Todd has been busy with church activities and work in the college cafeteria.
Olivia has kept us hopping with softball games, basketball practice, and sleepovers.

This road of grief teaches me something new just about everyday.

For today, my thought on grief is this: A smile mixed with tears is a gift from God.

Thankful for the hope of Heaven and for all of you!

Tammy
www.nicholasyancynischanfoundation.blogspot.com
www.tammynischan.blogspot.com
JOSHUA 1:9
PHIL. 4:4

INDIA ORPHANAGE PROJECT 2000!!!!!

Only God can take this pile of bricks and create an orphanage in Damoh, India!


With the generous gift of a Christian lady in Florida, the funds have been made available to build dormitories to hold 400 to 500 orphans.

Now, Nick's foundation is joining the work by reaching out to all of you with this humble request!!!


If 2,000 people commit to giving $30, Mid-India Christian Mission will have the resources needed to build a kitchen, food storage area, and dining hall capable of holding 100 children at a time!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are asking that you join us in this venture by praying about how you can help, clicking on the donate button to the right, making a donation, and then emailing us at tammynischan@yahoo.com so that we will know that you want your funds directed to this building campaign!! Your name will then be added to a plaque that will hang in the orphanage dining hall.

Or send your donation to:

NYN Foundation
India Orphanage Project 2000
PO Box 411
Grayson, KY 41143


I will be adding a chart to Nick's site so that you can monitor the campaign drive's progress.

Please know that your gifts go directly into the NYN Foundation account and that every penny is used to further the ministries of this foundation.

Nick's life deserves nothing less than to continue to be a shining light to a hurting world.




FOR MORE INFORMATION AND MORE PHOTOS, PLEASE VISIT TAMMY'S BLOG AT

www.tammynischan.blogspot.com

Thank you for joining us in prayer for this project.

Serving Him with every ounce of our being,

Tim and Tammy Nischan and the board of the
NYN FOUNDATION

Nickapalooza!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, July 11th, starting at 1 p.m.,
join us for an
all-day Christian music festival
in
Grayson, KY!!!!







10 bands will be performing!!


We will have bounce houses, face painting, corn hole tournaments, volleyball, t-shirts, concessions, and lots of praise and worship!



We hope you can join us!

Just $11 for an all-day wristband!

Contact Melissa Brooks at melissabrooks10@hotmail.com to order tickets!!!

Please pray that this day of outreach brings lots of kids closer to the Lord!!

Nick's Nooks....Almost Ready to Deliver!!

You can read the full story on my blog-

www.tammynischan.blogspot.com

But I wanted to share just a photo or two of our Nick's Nook progress last week!

Thanks to all of Nick and Olivia's buddies (as well as to Trish, Jenna, and Melissa) who helped stain these bookshelves that will go in doctor's offices and hospital waiting rooms across the country!



We hope that the children's books contained on these shelves will help pass the time for kids who are waiting for their appointments and make the waiting time easier for the parents!



We also hope that the story of Nick's faith, courage, and spirit will help those who are discouraged to find the hope that comes through Jesus and Jesus alone!

Planning our fist annual Nickapalooza...

Saturday, July 11th, we will be having our first annual summer Christian concert event (NICKAPALOOZA) right here in Eastern Kentucky at the Carter County Fairgrounds!!!

This day (7/11!) will be full of Christian bands, fellowship, food, and fun!

Mark your calendars now and plan to join us for this day of glorifying God while providing a positive experience for our youth.

Nick loved music!

We know that he will be right there with us praising and worshiping!!!!

Entrance fee for an all-day ticket is only $11! If you would like to order tickets now, please post a comment here with your email address and we will contact you in the next week!

Thank you for helping us continue Nick's legacy by sharing this special day with us!

Nick's Birthday

Well, in one hour it will be May 22. My sweet Nick's forever birthday.

I'm sure Heaven is planning a party like we never could have dreamed possible here, but goodness I will miss being there to share it with him.

Just wanted to ask for prayer as we face the morning.

We love you all so much!

P.S. Nick's foundation entered the window display contest this week for Memory Days and WON first place! I felt like that was a little gift from Nick to all of us!

Nick

Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes and Basket of Hope

I wrote about our basket of hope experience on my blog (www.tammynischan.blogspot.com) and hope you can pop over and read that some time soon.

We are so thankful for how our community has come together to get this program started here.

This coming Tuesday night at 8 p.m. we will be assembling 50 Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes which will be sent to families when they lose a child. Sadly, we already have 10 to mail out.

If you would like to help with these in any way, please email me at tammynischan@gmail.com.

Goodness, we miss Nick so much.

This foundation has truly been a way to keep his smile with us and to keep us going. We are so thankful.

Thank you for every prayer.

Scholarship forms for ministry majors attending Kentucky Christian University will be available to download soon.

Love and prayers from our home to yours,

Tammy and Tim

We're Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our trip to India to see the children in the blind and disabled school was life-changing in many ways.

We will share stories soon.

For now, we are having a very busy week with Basket of Hope as well as getting Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes ready to deliver.

Until next week, I just wanted to let you know we were home and safe. Thank you for your prayers. Please keep these boys and girls in your daily prayers.

Leaving for India Thursday

This is our family and my parents (Tammy) at Nick's Foundation Dinner. A Night to Remember.

We are trying to carry on Nick's legacy with the same smile with which he lived his beautiful life!

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are heading for India on Thursday to visit the orphanage at Mid-India Christian Mission where our friends are working.

We hope to partner with them to help this group of disabled children through Nick's foundation.

Please pray for us as we travel. And I promise that when we get back and I have my masters' work completed (which is almost done)....this website will be transformed greatly!

Thank you for your patience as we get this foundation up and running.

Love you all so much!

Thank you for every prayer. God bless your day, Tammy

Basket of Hope and other ministries

I wrote about the Basket of Hope story on my personal blog.

www.tammynischan.blogspot.com

If you have time, you can read more about it there. We are so thankful and excited about the future of this ministry.

We have been able to give $1000 to a family in our area who is struggling with finances during their son's fight with brain cancer.

We are giving $1000 to Carter Christian Academy, the school that Nick attended from preschool -5th grade.

We have ordered several books through authors and publishers (50 of each) as well as an inspiriational CD to place in the Adrienne's Angel Memory Boxes that we will be sending to families who lose a child. God has led us to a family who has designed and sells wind chimes and we are working out a partnership with them to be able to purchase a large quantity of wind chimes to also include in the memory boxes.

We have been able to give $500 to Borders and Beyond Missions....the organization that Nick's three older brothers all traveled with to do mission work in Mexico. Nick always dreamed of the day he could do this, but he was never able to see this dream come true.

We are working on the scholarship form for a preaching ministry major at Kentucky Christian University at this time and will be giving two $1000 scholarships for the fall 2009 school year.

The biggest prayer request at this time involves a possible union of Nick's foundation with Mid-India Christian Mission's orphanage for disabled children. Please pray that God will lead us in the direction He wants us to go and make very clear the path He wants us to take.

Thank you for helping us continue Nick's legacy of love and passion for hurting and lost people.

BASKET OF HOPE - FIRST MEETING

This Thursday evening at 7 p.m., we will be having our first meeting for the Basket of Hope ministry. We will meet at First Church of Christ in Grayson, KY, in their life center.

If you, your church, or your organization would like to be a part of this ministry in any way, please consider attending this informational meeting.

God bless you,
Tammy and Tim

Working on Projects

We have so much to add to this website to get it up and running, but I wanted to take a minute and let you know that we are working very hard at this time on the memory boxes for the Adrienne's Angel ministry. We have already been contacted about three families who have lost children since the dinner, so this ministry has taken top priority.

Soon we will have icons for all the ministries added to this site, so you can click around and visit them all.

Until then, I will keep you posted with little bits of news from time to time.

Our first Basket of Hope meeting is Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. at the First Church of Christ in Grayson, KY. If anyone reads this and would like to attend as a representative from your church, we would be honored and thrilled.

Because of Him and in honor of Nick and Adrienne,

Tammy (and Tim) Nischan

A Night to Remember

The first annual dinner for Nick's foundation was more beautiful than we ever could have imagined!

I have so many pictures to share (as soon as I get them!).

It looks like the foundation was able to raise nearly $10,000!

We have so much work to do to get all of the ministries rolling along.
The foundation was able to help a family last week with a gift of $1000 who has a son fighting brain cancer. Please pray for Jared and his precious family.

We have a lot to do to get all of the icons added to this website so that you can click on the various ministries.

Please know that your prayers mean the world to us and that we are working feverishly behind the scenes to get this foundation off the ground and making a difference in the world.

Nick would expect nothing less than lives lived for Christ!!

Thank you for checking in!

Love,
Tammy and Tim

The Beginning

Nick's legacy began long before he left this world for his earthly home.

I like to think that the dash between Nick's life's years of 1995 and 2008 is actually a crescendo!

Nick's life grew in intensity, purpose, and passion with every breath he took. We now take that deep intensity, purpose, and passion and carry it on in Nick' s name and for the glory of God. The crescendo continues!

The first benefit dinner will be held on Saturday, February 7th, at 6 p.m. in Grayson, Kentucky.

During this evening's festivities, the ministries of the NYN Foundation will be unveiled!

Please keep this evening in your daily prayers.

Forever Committed to Sharing the Hope of Eternity,

Tammy and Tim (Nick's very honored parents)