Wonderful Words on Wednesday 8 March 17

Still answering emails in response to last night's post and call for help so here are this week's messages..

Sorry to those that are waiting to see if I have received their parcels... time has been too short.. I have been too busy answering emails... 

Enjoy!!

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Dear Jan-Maree,

Thank you so much for the quilts you send over, particularly the quilt you kindly allowed me to nab which I think is just the most lovely quilt I have ever seen (see photo of me looking ridiculously happy with the afore mentioned quilt). Its sophistication lies in its very simplicity and I am very grateful, not only for the quilt, but also for your thoughts for all of us deployed. I have just over six weeks left of a rather long 288 day deployment (just shy of ten months) and I am looking forward to getting home, even if it is just in time for a Canberra winter!

JXXX tells me you have also sent out a laundry bag. Thank you very much. It really is very kind of you.

If you notice the quilts and pillowcase covered chairs..... this is a small welfare room used by our troops somewhere in the Middle East and we have been able to help them make it more comfortable and AUSSIE!
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G'day Joan and Robin,

Thank you so much for my laundry bag. I grew up on the coast and currently live in Newcastle so it reminds me of home and the ocean. It's spot on. When I get home I'm gonna do some travelling around up the coast surfing in my van so it'll fit right in on my trip.

Thanks heaps for your hard work and putting it together so quickly. Everyone here really appreciates getting quilts and laundry bags.

Here are a couple pics I took next to our FA-18 Hornet jets. Hope you like them.

Thanks again

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Hi Carol,

Thank you for the laundry bag (and the sweets), it is, and they were awesome!

Nice size, lovely colours and really well put together.

When my kids see it they will want it – they’re not going to get it.

They have a laundry basket and don’t even use that at the best of times, unless I am on their backs about tidying their room or they want something and make a special effort to clean their rooms!!

It is a lovely gesture and once again thanks to all who participate in taking the time and no doubt considerable effort into making these bespoke items for all the personnel who receive them.

I am sure it is a time consuming endeavour, but certainly appreciated.

They certainly stand out and I have had so many comments about where mine came from.

They are the envy of the other nation’s contingents that we are working with.

It is nice to know that there are people back in Australia who still think about deployed personnel and dedicate their time to making these lovely items.

This is now my 10^th time away and I have not received such a lovely gift before.

Although being a Defence member is my chosen occupation (and I love it), it is nice to know that there are people back home who still think of us when we are away.

Some deployed areas are harsher than others, but knowing that people still think of you is a great feeling and gives you a sense of worth for what you are doing in the bigger picture.

It is never easy being away from family and friends for extended periods of time – and

I really class them as the ones who should be receiving the attention as they probably put up with more hassles than we do, so it is nice to know that others are thinking about you.

Please pass my regards and thanks to all who are involved in this and if it is just you – wow, dedication and big big thanks for such a lovely gift.

Regards,

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Dear Leanne,

Firstly, I would like to thank you and your crew of helpers that created such a wonderful quilt for me.  I love it!

You are very talented and do a wonderful job.

Each one of us deployed over here are very thankful for all the work and effort that quilters from AHQ like yourself put in to create such beautiful quilts.

I use mine all the time when I am lying down on my bed (I turn the air conditioner down), and I plan on using it when I return home, especially when the

Broncos are playing (although when I get home it will be summer again).

I don’t think I would have the skills or patience to do quilting.  My mum was right into crocheting and we have had many crocheted rugs throughout the years.

I also loved the extras that you placed in with the quilt.  Tim Tams are like currency over here.  It’s quite remarkable what you can get for a packet of them.

It has been very hot over here at the moment.  We reached around 56 degrees last week and it was almost unbearable, with most days now being around the high

40’s to low 50’s.  The days are very humid which makes it worse.  Fortunately though, I get to spend a fair bit of time indoors with aircon.

I have been in the RAAF for almost 22 years now, and have enjoyed each moment of it.

I am an Avionics Technician and have worked on many of the different aircraft that the RAAF has.

I’ve spent time on C130 Hercules, DC4 Caribou, F111’s, F/A-18 Super Hornet and enjoyed all of them.

I would recommend a career in the ADF to anyone, and as such two of my own boys are joining the Army (don’t know why they wanted Army and not Airforce???) this year.

I am proud to do my part for this great country.

Thank you once again Leanne, we respect each and every one of you wonderful ladies at AHQ.

Regards,

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Dear Rita (and clan),

My sincere thanks for the laundry bag I recently received.

All of the guys who received a laundry bag were extremely grateful.  It was a nice little boost to morale.  They were all particularly appreciative of the letter.  I think that personal touch means a bit extra when you can read the thoughts of the person who made something for you.  I personally received the “Cool Cat” print, and one of my guys was particularly impressed with that one!  All of the items inside were shared among the whole workshop.  The Kiwis were impressed that such an organisation exists and made comments to that effect.

Thank you once again for your time and effort.  Whilst the guys certainly don’t feel isolated here, it’s a satisfying feeling to know that people home in Australia appreciate what we’re doing, and are willing to sacrifice their own time to show that appreciation.

Kind regards

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Hello Rita and Lou,

I am a mechanic overseas based in Adelaide, and we have just received your parcel.

My role here is to manage the vehicles along with a few other guys, we have an array of vehicles here to maintain, including medium trucks, forklifts and armored vehicles which are fun to work on.

All of the guys were surprised and appreciative of the service you and your association provide to serving members, it was well needed and it is very appreciated.

Thank you for the laundry bag and gifts.

Kind regards,

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Dear Rita,

I am an electrician deployed as part of Task Group Taji.

I am writing to thank you for the kind gift you have sent my compatriots and I, it is greatly appreciated.

The bags will come in very handy here at Taji as all our laundry is done by civilian contractors and now will be easy to spot on collection.

To you and your family, thank you.

Regards,

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Hello Rita,

I am a tradesman in the Australian Army, currently deployed to the Middle East.

My co-workers and I are all very grateful for the laundry bags and gift packs you sent us.

I got a bag with sharks all over it, which I am very happy about because I am a Cronulla Sharks fan in the NRL, so thank you very much.

Once again, I thank you for the time and effort you go to to put a smile on a soldiers face.

It is very comforting knowing people back home such as yourself spare a thought for the people serving overseas.

Thanks for the laundry bags and the support!

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Dear Rita,

I am currently deployed as a Bio-Medical and Electronics Technician.

Thank you for taking the time to make and send through the laundry bag.

I got lucky and scored the one with the Australian flag colours.  I carry it around proudly.

It is a very generous service you do for us deployed troops and I know we all appreciate it greatly.

I am lucky to be married to a wonderful lady and we have 3 handsome boys together.

I miss them very much over here, but I have an important role and it is my hope that they will grow to understand that the time

I spent away from them was for a greater good.

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Good morning ,

I would like to take the time to pause and send a huge shout out to the team of Aussie Hero Quilts for their generosity and work. My Quilt and Laundry bag arrived today, and it's arrival bought a huge injection of morale. I have been sick with a head and chest cold from a recent mission, and the arrival of the gift today was like a little ray of sunshine when feeling a little lousy.

I particularly love the story behind who made it - thank you to Robyn H.

My role is not just morale and welfare, but the purpose of showing and sharing the blessing and love of God in a practical way, and when I look at the card and the inclusion of the cross and the bookmark - it encourages me to keep soldiering on, as at the very least, our Soldiers need the love of God when serving and representing our ADF, and Australia so well on operations.

Robyn, if you could pass onto your friend - you made this Salvation Army Officer leak a memory or two when reading the story in the card ;)

Thank you again - I have included a photo of me with the Quilt and laundry bag - taken in front of the door in my office.

Thank you again, and this memory will last forever and be an extra special blessing in the time serving during the rotation.

God bless and thank you so much!

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Dear Rita,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag full of presents.

We all appreciate the time and effort required to make personalised gifts.

It’s nice to know that there are still nice and good people in this world.

Once again, thank you very much.

Cheers,

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Rita,

I would like to thank you for the time and effort put into making these items for us.

It has brought much enjoyment to me and all the members of my section.

I’m the General Engineering Commander here at the Taji Military Complex.

There are four members within the section including myself.

Our section is responsible for the service and inspection of all the weapons and accessories, fabrication tasks and serving the workshop equipment.

To have your laundry bag arrive filled with its goodies has boosted the morale, not only to my section but to all the members within the workshop.

Once again, thank you for your support and kind words.

Kind regards,

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Words cannot express just how touched I was to receive the best ever laundry bag from Clarissa (Go the Wallabies!) and the most comforting and fantastic quilt from Sandy and her team in Coffs Harbour. The amount of work and thought that went into making such personal items is truly touching and actually bought a little tear to my eye.

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) are a godsend over here and bring so much joy each time a package arrives for one of our members. And of course, a cheeky pack of Tim Tams always adds to the happiness!

Thank you very much for all the effort you put in and please know just how valued and appreciated your hard work is for all the men and women of the ADF deployed overseas.

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Good Morning Cheryle,

Apologies for taking so long to email you as I have been meaning to do so for some time now. 

Thank you so much for the parcel you sent with the quilt and amazing goodies. I appreciate you taking the time it must have taken to create such a fabulous quilt, you got the Storm logo perfect (even though you are more of a cricket girl :)

It's such a pleasure to hear about your Dad and Son. I'm the first and only member of my family to serve in the military which I have done so for 15 years and don't have any plans to discharge on the horizon. This is also my fourth deployment to the Middle East but the first deployment where I have received a quilt, which is something I will always treasure. 

I have attached a photo of myself with the quilt. If you would like to post it on Facebook or send it to Aussie Hero Quilts to proudly show your fantastic work, please do so. I intend on sending the photo to the Melbourne Storm as my Son's football team has had a long association with them.   

I can not thank you enough. 

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Hello Clarissa, 

Thank you very much for the Eels themed laundry bag and the chocolates! They arrived this week. For many years now, whenever I have lived out of my suitcase I have used a garbage bag as my laundry bag, so this is a wonderful change. Also the chocolates are very much appreciated, as the chocolate here just doesn't taste the same as home. 

I'm looking forward to Parramatta's first game on Sunday. We can watch them here live thankfully. It will be on at 0900h our time. 

Thank you for telling me about yourself, very interesting. You must be very proud of your children, very successful careers. My Aunty lives just up the road  so I have spent a lot of time around that area. I know Pennant Hills road well. I love that you have your own chickens. My in laws have just downsized from a farm where they had many chickens, I miss the fresh eggs. They taste much better than the Woolies eggs. 

I'm here for sometime yet.  I have a 5 month old daughter who I know isn't old enough to miss me at the moment. She has already grown up so much. My wife is doing ok with her on her own as her family lives in the same suburb as us in Canberra. 

Thanks again for your efforts :-)

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Hi Sue,

I have been lucky enough to just have become the proud owner of your beautiful laundry bag, thank you!! I have been over in Iraq for a couple of weeks now and your beautiful beach houses on the bag reminded me of all the summers I have spent at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast. I loved reading your letter you have such a strong history in the Navy, that's lovely you met your husband through your work and for your brother to become a Commander is incredible!

I am in the Army so am currently working at the ANZAC hospital we have in Taji. I have been luckily enough to only come over for a short period of time so the Radiographer who has been here could go home for a few weeks to visit his wife and kids before finishing off his rotation.  I believe I will be back for a full rotation from this coming December so this trip has given me a good idea of what to expect. I have only been in the Army since Jan 2016 and have loved every minute of it so far. I have found it is a great balance of learning to become an officer, working on exercises and activities throughout Australia and now overseas, and developing my clinical skills with cases we do not see in the normal public hospitals. 

I will cherish your bag forever and I, as well as everyone here do really appreciate the work you and everyone else have done to donate these beautiful gifts to us! I hope you are well back in Australia!

Thank you again,

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Good afternoon Sue,

Thank you so much for the quilt you have done a fantastic job. I am a huge Mitsubishi Evo fan and have a Evolution 7 myself. I am currently building the head on mine and will be installing a larger turbo charger this year. 

Although much to my Fiancee's dislike, she would rather spend the money on our house we are renovating (deep down I know she is right). Once I am home I will be on plenty of leave in Brisbane spending time with my fiancee and my Boxer dog Tyson, ( named like the Boxer)

I will be heading home very soon and can not wait. I have never been more keen to see trees and grass instead of sand. This is my first deployment of my 7 year career so far and hopefully not too many to go.

Again thank you so very much  for the quilt and all the hard work and research put into it, I know everyone here who has received quilts and laundry bags from Aussie Heroes have really loved what they got. 

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 Hello Lisa,

I'll start by saying thank you so much for the laundry bag, Tim Tams and toys. I can confirm the Octonauts is serious business. My 3 year old is quite the fan of Peso and my one year old loves eating the figurines, although he is not as picky. 

The Tim Tams are a god send, they are practically worth their weight in gold over here. The American and British soldiers get their first experience of them when they go on coalition ops with Aussies and Kiwis and rate them highly.

My wife and I are all too familiar with big moves. We first moved East with a one month old to Townsville, pretty humid and sleepy compared to Perth, before moving to Brisbane which in my opinion has the worst traffic in Australia, though thankfully not as many tolls as Sydney.

Warmest regards

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Hello Thelma, 

I was recently very fortunate to receive such a wonderful gift after you made and sent me that awesome quilt and laundry bag and other goodies . The time you have taken to not only make and send such a wonderful and meaningful gift means so much to me .This is actually my very first quilt although  I have been deployed 7 times since 2001 .

Well again Thelma thank you so very much for taking so much of your own time to providing a little bit of home to the ADF who are away from home and their families and friends .At times it seems to be a worthless job but when we get some heart-warming gifts as the ones you sent me, it makes things so much better. Although this is my 7 deployment this is the 1^st one I have done away from home over Christmas -  it means so much to all of us that wonderful people like you take the time out of their day to provide us with such wonderful keepsakes.

I will certainly treasure my quilt laundry bag and those other wonderful gifts  you sent .

I wish you and your family a happy warm & wonderful Christmas .

I have put in a couple of small thing to say best wishes and thoughts and love to you & your family ,

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Good evening Su J,

I would like to thank you very much for the laundry bag you made. I have only just arrived in theatre 2 weeks ago, but we had a visit from the Chaplain this week who brought us some goodies from you.

I picked your laundry bag because it has a beautiful dog on the front, and since I have a dog and a cat at home who I am already missing terribly, I thought what a wonderful way to bring a little piece of home into my bed room.

Please know that your efforts back home do make a difference to us over here and I will cherish this little gesture for a very long time.

I hope this email finds you and your family happy and well. God bless you Ma'am.

Very kind regards,

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Dear Beverly,

Your beautiful quilt arrived in the mail today. I love it!

You did such a fantastic job of capturing all the things I love and miss most about home.

I came straight back to my room to spread it out on my bed and take a phot to send to my boyfriend.

It was also a prompt for me to do some tidying up to make sure I had no mess to spoil it.

                                                                                                                                                  I am about halfway through my deployment, and still have a few weeks before I go home on leave for ten days.  Your quilt came just at the right time to lift my spirits, but still gives me time to enjoy it for the rest of my deployment.  It will find its forever home on my couch, as it will be perfect for those cold Canberra winters when I’m lying on my couch reading.

I love the work you do at Aussie Hero Quilts and enjoy looking at all the laundry bags every time I do the washing.  It’s a game to guess who they belong to and what interests inspired the design.

Thanks again, and much love,

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Hi Jan-Maree,

Today I received a lovely gift from Philomena, a North QLD Cowboys quilt that now sits proudly on my bed.

I would personally like to thank each and every one who donates their time to make our lives over here that little bit nicer.

A bit about myself, I am now a RAAF reservists and have completed both full time and part time service for 17 years I now have an electrical and air conditioning business which keeps me busy as well as RAAF reserve.

This is my 4th and hopefully last deployment as it's now getting very hard to be away from my 2 beautiful daughters 10 and 13 and  it's wearing thin on my wife that's been with me through all of them.

You guys are doing an amazing job and I wish you all the best.

  

Thank you

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Hi Cheryl,

Just thought I would take a moment to personally say a big thank you for the Quilt and laundry bag. Its nice to get parcels such as yours and gives everyone a little boost reading the letters of support and appreciation.  I have been in the Navy for 11 years and this is my third Gulf deployment. It's somewhat easier on me as I don't have a wife or kids back home that I am away from, which is the reason why I accepted this posting at short notice. As for the routine, your son is not wrong and it can get a bit much at times so I try and break down our trip into parts which seems to make it pass quicker. Our deployment is 9 months long, so I try and focus on each patrol and getting a good gym routine. Then I try and focus on the half way mark before I can start thinking about the big countdown!! Pulling into home port is probably the best feeling, I'd rate ANZAC day number 1 but pulling into port after a long deployment is number 2, with my brother greeting my on the wharf to share a beer!

Sleeping in my own bed takes some adjusting as home seems so too quiet! I must become accustomed to the random noises of being on a ship at sea. 

Well thanks again for the quilt and laundry bag, it means alot to know you and your sewing group are out there.

Sincerely,

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Dear Robyn Brew,

I am an ADG currently serving in the Middle East. I recently received a gift from you, an amazing quilt that you and your sister made for me. I thank you so much for all of your efforts, this quilt is fantastic, I love it. I have been here for 6 months. I have a wife and 5yr old son at home he's started school this year. I'm due home at the end of XXXX, I can't wait to see them.  Thank you again for the quilt, it is much appreciated, for all the efforts you have made for it and others that also do the same from Aussie hero quilts. Also thank you for the chocolates as well, they will go down a real treat. Take care.

Kind regards

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I have shared this on Facebook already but I received this via email on the weekend... and wanted to pass it on to you.  

"What an amazing  story and effort by all concerned. I think the work involved is incredible and I dearly hope they (our quilts and bags) bring peace to the soldiers ---all heroes......from their   memories of the terrible war they were involved in.  I  am old. Other than congratulate you all, and my  prayers too,  I can only wish you all well for the future.   

Joy from near Windsor"
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A nice note to finish on... till next time.. keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xx