Grati-Tuesday

Starting off tonight's post we have a letter from our Peace Keepers in South Sudan.  

Dear Jan-Maree,

Thank you so much for the packages I have just received. I not only received your fantastic package of biscuits, but I also received my quilt and laundry bag from Sue F. I feel very lucky to have received both. I will save the ANZAC biscuits for a special occasion and share them with my international colleagues – they can also enjoy a bit of a taste of Australia. If you get the chance please also thank your helpers.

I have attached a photo of the current Aussie contingent on the roof of their accommodation in Juba. I’m pretty sure that most of them have benefited from your support as well, so I thought that you might like to see their smiling faces.

On behalf of the Australian Contingent in South Sudan, thank you for your ongoing service to your country through the support that you are providing us all.

Regards,

And another from South Sudan...this time a letter to his quilter

Dear Sue F,

Thank you so much for the quilt and laundry bag - they just arrived in the mail and they are spectacular. They are a wonderful little piece of Australian in the middle of Africa! I have no idea how you find the time with all of your commitments, but thank you so much for your support. I know that most of the Aussies over here have been supported by Aussie Hero Quilts, so I have attached a photo of us all up on the roof of "Australia House" in Juba. On behalf of them all, thank you for your support to the deployed service personnel - we are all very grateful.

Regards,

.....

WooHoo the first quilts have arrived in HMAS Toowoomba!!

Hello Hilary,

I thank you so much for my fabulous Quilt, I really love it has a very vibrant colour lay out.
It came just in time as well, I will turn 53 on the 20 Aug, today being the 18 Aug.
I have served in the Navy for 18 yrs, spending 12.5 years on ships. I joined when I was 35.

Once again thanks very much for Hard Work, I think my oldest daughter will try and take it from me when we get home. 

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Dear Joan,

Thank you for the lovely laundry bag. It has brightened my room and made my day.  Thank you once again, it was very much appreciated.

Have a great day.

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Lindsay,

        To my surprise I was given two parcels from yesterdays post from you. I cannot find the words to adequately describe how grateful I am and how this has lifted my moral after my first very busy week...........The quilt will first complete a tour of the Headquarters before it moves to my room where it will brighten my personal space. Thank you for your efforts, it is the reason I serve the Australian public.

Enjoy the snow as the minimum temperature over here is in the low thirties and the highs are above the fifties currently. Wishing the Aussie Hero Quilt group all the best as I join with you in the big task of looking out for our men and women in the current area of operations.

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Dear Aussie hero Quilts

Thank you for the quilt and laundry bag. Thank you to all the volunteers that make and organises this program  it is always good to have people back  home are thinking of us. The quilt with come in very handy when it gets colder.

Thank you

...... 

Hi Sue,

I'm a 27 year old soldier on her first deployment. I just want to thank you for the Aussie Heroes gift. I got a Tweety Bird print laundry bag, which is great because as a kid Tweety was my favourite Loony Tunes character.  It's great to receive a gift from home.  Thanks again, your generosity is very much appreciated.

Beck

....

Hi Kate, 

I am one of the lucky few who have had the pleasure of receiving one of your  laundry bags. I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation as I am very grateful considering this is the only item I forgot to bring with me on my current rotation. I had resorted to using a garbage bag to store my dirty laundry. So yes, I do very sincerely thank you for this gift. I am a believer in passing along this generosity and hope one day I too am in a position to offer something of value to someone in need.

Regards

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Hello Sue,

I'd like to thank you for the clothes bag that you made. It is very much appreciated. It looks amazing. It brightens up the room but it also brightens up my day. As you probably know, everything in the army all looks the same, plain and boring. It makes it a lot easier to find the washing machine that I was using as it  is not the same white bag on top of the machine like all the rest.

I have been in the army for 6 years and this is my first deployment and it is exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. I've had a lot of training for getting deployed but the hardest thing is being away from family and friends.

I would like to thank you again for the present and I will use this laundry bag for the rest of my career and take it to all of my army courses and bush exercises.

Regards
.....

Dear Irene,

Thank you very much for the beautiful quilt and laundry bag you took so much time

and effort to create.

There is no better feeling than knowing that someone who has no reason to care is not

only thinking of you while you are away, but also actively working to provide you

with a morale raising gift.

Without a doubt your quilt will be my most cherished memory of my deployment. I'd

like you to know that your quilt and letter to me will become part of my military

memorabilia that will be passed on to my daughters, along with the story of the

woman who took the time to make a gift for a soldier she didn't know.

The colours and pictures on the quilt are definitely worth the wait, you have done a

superb job creating a quilt for the aspiring nutrition nut.

Stay safe and healthy and keep up the great work you are doing with those quilts.

They mean more than you know.

Cheers,

.....

And saving the best for last this is my favourite letter of the night!
..... 

Good Evening Granny Smith,

I am just writing to inform you that I have received the quilt you made for me. I cannot express the joy it brought to the room when it arrived, it is everything and more than what I expected, I absolutely love it! It sits on my bed at this current time as I write this letter. I love it!!! 

It was Sunday afternoon I received it, along with my whole section I was sitting at my desk letting all my guys know what was going on for the next day. The postey walked in and handed me the package!!   I immediately knew it was from you and did not hesitate to let the whole office know that I had received it. As we truckies work closely to the RAEME (mechanics) I was sure to let them know, as the friendly rivalry is strong. We are always bragging which of us is the better corps; of course we truckies are definately the superior corps. =] So as I was saying I was sure to have all their attention when I opened the package. I immediately pulled it out and showed it off. I was told the look on my face was priceless. The RAEME guys were still trying to prove how they thought they where in the better corps. I still beg to

differ.  

So I am writing this letter late at night whilst sitting on the quilt, as the free time at work is very minimal coming up the end of my deployment. Our replacements are here now and most of my time is dedicated to handing over to them. I am really excited, now with less than a fortnight until I get home. My partner is super excited. 

 I have been looking at the weather down in Melbourne and it has been between 10

-15 degrees. I couldn't imagine 3 degrees, man that's cold. I expect it to be a huge shock when I return to Australia as for the last few months it has been between the mid 40's to the mid 50's.

What you and the rest of the ladies at Aussie Hero Quilts do is heart warming. The moral boost of the troops when receiving a gift like this is second to none. I cannot begin to explain how it makes the soldiers feel. I have seen first hand with my own eyes the opening of quite a few packages with quilts and the emotional change is one that is not seen often during a deployment. It is only explained as pure joy.

In Australia my job as a truckie sends me all over the country. It would please me immensely if ever the opportunity arises and I happen to be travelling though the Barossa Valley that we could meet up for a coffee or a bite to eat. I would like to do

this just to express how much it meant to me that you took the time to make this quilt.

There are not enough people like yourself and the rest of the ladies at AHQ on this earth. I really want you to know that it does not go unnoticed.

That is all for tonight.  

.....

Till next time......................keep spreading the word and happy stitching!  

Jan-Maree xx