Monday' Messages

Hi All
Normally the Gratitude Post would go up on Tuesday night but as it is Christmas (almost) and Santa has monolpolised all the free elf labour I am trying to make things a little easier on myself in order to get everything done for my family's Christmas, as well as everything else I am doing.   For that reason there probably won't be a post tomorrow night and you have the Gratitude post tonight instead.   I have something very special planned for the 23rd and a little something for the 24th as well.

Don't forget to click on the link here and check out the Christmas messages from the troops.  There are around 18 pages of them and I have recognised lots of names.  I am sure many of you will enjoy spotting someone you have made something for.

For now, enjoy these messages.
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Hi,

I just want to take the time to thank you. I'm working as a Platoon Commander mentor at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Kabul, and the cold winter here will be a lot warmer thanks to your efforts. If you could pass on my thanks to Jenny F for the wonderful quilt she has made, and Linda F for the fantastic laundry bag that would be great.

Yours Sincerely,

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Dear Catherine and the Willett family,

I just received your wonderful parcel containing a laundry bag with my initials on it and lots of munchies. What a great gift! I am over the moon with your generosity and support. The laundry bag will get plenty of use and the munchies will go down well. Tim tams are a great currency over here however I will share them with my fellow Aussies on Xmas day. I can't explain how much it means to us to have the support of our fellow Australians when we are so far from home. Recognition is our greatest reward.

Once again thank you for the great gift and your kind words. I hope your family has a great Xmas and a happy new year.

Regards.

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Dear Wendy

Thank you very much for your quilt and laundry bag, it was a big moral booster too receive here I would like too say everyone here is extremely grateful for what you and Aussie Hero Quilts does for us. I noticed that the first package with the laundry bag in it came months ago however the quilt only arrived in the recent delivery and that is why it has taken so long to respond so I apologize for that. The postage sometimes misplaced parcels but it's here now so thank you. I hope all is well and things are going great have a merry Christmas and a holy New Year. 
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G'day Noelene,

I'm in the Air Force currently serving overseas.  I was very fortunate to receive a wonderful quilt and letter from Elsie who provided your email address as a point of contact.  I would greatly appreciate it if you could please pass this email along to her.

Elsie,

I would very much like to thank you for the beautiful quilt and letter that you sent me. I was quite emotional to receive it and to read your letter as I didn't expect people at home to be thinking of us over here let alone to go to the effort of making such a wonderful gift.  You'll be pleased to know that I have put it to good use as its coming into winter in the Middle East and your quilt is doing a great job of keeping me warm at night.

I only have a couple of weeks left before I head home to Australia which I'm very much looking forward to.  I can't wait to eat a roast lamb, drink some Australian wine and take a walk on some grass (there's not a lot of it over here).  Unfortunately I won't be home for Christmas but they're planning a big lunch and special beer issue for us which we're all looking forward to.

Once again Elsie I'd like to thankyou, for not only your gift, but your support for what we're doing.  Your letter and quilt mean a great deal to me and they are something that I will keep and treasure long after I return home.  I'd like to wish you, your husband Frank and your extended family a very Merry Christmas.

Kindest regards,
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Dear Joan, Robin and Louise,

I am currently deployed in the Middle East with 33SQN. I recently received a Quilt and a Laundry bag from your organisation and wish to thank you for the kind gesture. I have been over here for 3 months now and I can tell you that little gifts such as these really help make our little piece of the desert feel more homely.

My unit over here is operating the KC30A Air to Air refuelling aircraft in support of operations.  We are all finding the time away from our families challenging, especially at this time of year but on the positive side there is a lot of professional satisfaction being felt by us all.

I am on the downhill run now, only 1 month left in country before I go home. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back and having belated Christmas's with friends and family. I wish you and your families a very merry Christmas and thank you once again for your gifts. It is really nice to know we have support from those back home:)

I have attached a picture of my room set up so you can see I've put your pressies to good use.

Kind regards,

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Hello Noeleen,

     Just thought that I would take some time out to let you know that I received the laundry bag that you made for me. I love the bag and am the envy of more that a few of the other guys here.

     The goodies are also very much appreciated.

     I feel very proud and privileged to have received this bag and appreciate all that you do for us serving members and the other people as mentioned in your letter.

Kind Regards,

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Dear Gale and  Jenny

Peace

Thank you for your thoughtful and wonderful gift. I really appreciated receiving such a personal item. The care and thought of making this is very touching. Thank you.

I work between Kandahar and Kabul. This is where most Australians are working. We have a mixed team of army, navy, air force and public service personnel.

With the draw down in Australian numbers since the closure of Taren Kowt and the slow withdrawal of the Americans, at times the guys feel they are slipping off the map. They were watching the first test last week and commenting of the weather, as we are in winter here. That and the crisis in Sydney have hit some of the guys hard. It is thoughtful people like you that help the us feel attached to home.

Thank you and have a wonderful Christmas 

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Good morning Su,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag you supplied. Over here in the MER (Middle East Region) we are currently living in tents and whilst we have the washer and dryer facilities within 500 meters to wash our clothes and bedding, it is a great comfort and with ease that I can walk my clothes there in a colourful and neat manner.

I hope this email message finds you in good health and that you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Dear Robyn,

A few days ago I received a parcel from you containing a quilt, laundry bag, some lollies and chocolate. Receiving mail is a huge highlight here and I just wanted so say a massive thank you to you for taking the time to make me such beautiful things!! The quilt and laundry bag are both absolutely gorgeous!! The quilt brightens up my room space and makes it feel so much more homely.

Thank you for donating your time to making these gorgeous keepsakes, it will remind me of the time I spent overseas and is something I will always cherish.

Thank you again and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Yours truly,

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The following is for a quilt and LB that Irene made.

G'day Jan-Maree

Sorry for taking so long to reply, I have received my Quilt and Laundry Bag and I can honestly say that I love both of them and am already using them. I would like to thank you very much for your contribution as well as the personnel tasked with creating these awesome quilts and bags.

Your contribution is greatly appreciated by myself and all personnel onboard HMAS Toowoomba and your support towards the Australian Defence Force and the Royal Australian Navy is nothing but outstanding.

Thank you so very much 

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Good morning Jan-Maree and Donna,

I would like to pass on my absolute sincere thanks to you and the rest of the volunteers at Aussie Hero Quilts for the laundry bag and quilt. I'm sorry this has taken so long but I have been bouncing around the Middle East for the past few months with my job. 

Needless to say, my laundry bag follows me everywhere and my quilt actually caught up with me in Kabul just as it was starting to get cold a few weeks ago (perfect timing!).

I absolutely love the quilt and bag. I had no idea that they were coming as it appears my cheeky colleagues at 1JPAU were the instigators. Both items managed to brighten my day and I will be treasuring them for many years to come. 

The act of kindness that you have shown in spending time putting something together just for me that represents things I hold dear is truly remarkable and I really appreciate your generous spirit.

Please find attached a couple of photos. I believe that the work you do is absolutely a legacy to be supported for future troops serving overseas.

Once again, thank you.

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Hi Jan, 

                Just wanted to say a massive thank you for my Laundry bag/quilt that I received.

Julie-Ann covered the brief perfectly, I am speechless and I can't thank her enough. 

I think its safe to say I won't be searching for my white mess laundry bag that is the same as everyone else, as now I have my own unique one.

Although we are away from home and our loved ones it's the gestures like this that help make our time go faster. 

To have someone put in the time and effort to make something that reflects me is an amazing feeling and especially when I read the letters attached hearing the things that are happening at home for the women who put in the time for us.

Again a massive thank you to Julie-Ann. 

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Hello Noeleen,

     Just thought that I would take some time out to let you know that I received the laundry bag that you made for me. I love the bag and am the envy of more than a few of the other guys here.

     The goodies are also very much appreciated.  

     I noted in your letter that you're from WA as am I originally. Most of my family is still there in the southern suburbs around Mandurah.

     I feel very proud and privileged to have received this bag and appreciate all that you do for us serving members and the other people as mentioned in your letter.

Kind Regards,

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Dear Cath

I would like to express my gratitude and thanks for the laundry bag and the

wonderful treats, having support from people back home makes the job we do

all worth it. Knowing that supportive Australian people are behind

everything we do to protect our great country. Spending time apart from our

loved ones feel can be very difficult at times but receiving gestures like

yours makes it that little bit special. Your time and effort that you put

into creating gifts like the laundry bag is nothing short of wonderful.

Thank you so much.

I trust that you will have a joyous Christmas and a wonderfully prosperous

New Year.

I wish you and your family all the best.

Warmest Regards,

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For some reason the quilt and laundry bag was received in the Middle East and then forwarded to the member's home address so his wife has received it instead.

 Dear Julie-Ann Searle,

Words can't express how grateful I am for receiving the quilt and laundry bag for my husband who is on deployment and isn't due home till Feb.

I heard about AHQ before my husband's deployment went over and got all the details of those going on deployment and ordered them all a laundry bag and quilt each to help boost their moral.

To receive hubby's in the post the other day and seeing the amazing work that you have created It was over whelming, I took a photo of it and sent it to hubby, because by the time I sent it over there he would have to send it back for getting ready for the trip home. So I have put it up on our wall as a wall feature with all of his Army items.

You ladies do an amazing job to help those deployed and we are forever grateful

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Good afternoon Rita,

Words cannot express my gratitude for the amazing job you have done on the quilt and laundry bag I received today. Thank you so much for the gift and your letter. I enjoyed hearing about your inception into Australian Rules Football in Australia.

It is a GREAT time in Adelaide for Football. Were you fortunate enough to get to a few games at Adelaide Oval last season? I live in XXXXX so it was very handy being able to walk to and from games.

A little bit about myself:

I'm a Maritime Logistics - Supply Chain sailor in the Royal Australian Navy, I'm currently posted to the Maritime Operations Support Group in XXXXX. My primary job role is stores and mail for the Australian Ship (that would be HMAS Success) which is on operation at the time in the Middle East region.

This involves receiving stores item and personal mail for ship's company and organising freight drop offs to their next port of call, ensuring they receive their mail as soon as possible.

As you could imagine mail keeps their morale quite high, including quilts and laundry bags which you wonderful people put together for us! 

I'm 10 weeks into my 6 month deployment so just about over the halfway mark. Fortunately, we have a good network here and support, so I'm not feeling homesick as yet. We are quite busy so it keeps you occupied.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

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I have included the photo of the quilt for this one as I think that will put his thank you letter into context.  

Ahoy there Stephanie,

Sorry for the late reply but I misplaced your letter. I just wanted you to know how pleased i was that someone knew what a "hop" was! I absolutley love my quilt and I am already using it on my rack(bed). My plans are to use it on brew day to keep my brew pot warm. Being part of a boarding party team I have been dirty and tired and coming back to my rack every time to see the quilt has given me a boost of energy and excitement about different styles of beers I would like to make when I return to Australia. I got the ship,s photographer to take my photo with my quilt while we were in Dubai, I will send it as soon as he releases the photo when it has been approved. We have had a successful deployment and are on our way back to Australia now just in time for Christmas. I wish you all the best for Christmas and  HOPPY new year.

Thanks again for your efforts you really did bring a smile to my face :)

kind regards,

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Dear Anne,

I wanted to drop you a line to say thank you very much for the beautiful quilt and laundry bag which arrived on board in the mail when Success arrived alongside at our first port visit today.  Your parcel was in one of the 3 sacks of mail for the officers so as a small group of us sat in the Wardroom and opened them up - and there were others who received parcels from Aussie Hero Quilts - it felt much like an early Christmas.  The quilt itself is fantastic.  I love the colours, the variegated guitar motifs and the design; it's also an awful lot softer than the Service issue cover I have been using.  It is already on the doona and I shall spend my first night under it very soon.  But I have to say that the laundry bag is just far too good to be filled with smelly socks and thrown around on the laundry deck.  I will find something just as useful but a little more deserving for it in the long term but for the moment, perhaps it's first job will be to act as Santa's sack on Christmas Eve for all the presents my wife packed for me before we sailed.

Once again many thanks for your fantastic handwork and kindness to provide such a wonderful and practical keepsake for me for what is after all, just doing my job.  

I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and all the very best for the new year.

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Noeleen,

Thankyou very much for the laundry bag that you  made for me and the other little snacks and coffees that you sent. I received the parcel last night on our first mail drop for our deployment. My laundry will now never be misplaced again due to your magical work. It is great to receive parcels from home especially when we are so far away. Once again I must thank you for your work and keep it up, it brings a smile to mine and many of my shipmate's faces when they receive gifts from  home (especially hand made ones) from people like yourself. I hope you have a great Christmas and new years all the best. 

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Hi there,

I think it is wonderful what you all do for those of us who spend time away from home for our country and families, especially at this time of year.  It helps us remember why we joined up, and who we are doing this for.  Receiving gifts whilst away, especially something that is hand made, makes being away that bit easier.

Thank you all so much.

Kind regards,

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Hi Margaret,

I would like to begin by thanking you immensely for the kind gift you sent. It has lifted my spirits during what is proving to be  a long deployment away from the family over Christmas. The laundry bag is every handy as it saves me losing socks and jocks on the way to and from the laundry. 

We had a camera crew come around the other day to film some Christmas messages. My maintenance team and I did a group message wishing Australia a merry Christmas and I also added a special thanks to Aussie Hero Quilts for their support. I will try and get a copy and forward it to you. Its so good to walk through the camp to the laundry and see most people with hand made laundry bags. In the laundry room, all you see is colorful bags on top of the washing machines.

Thank you once again and I want you to know how much Aussie Hero Quilts have boosted morale for myself and the other guys who have been lucky enough to receive a parcel too.

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And one for Lisa N 

I recently received a quilt and a package from Lisa N. I was just wanting to say a very big thank you and make sure that the thank you gets to right person. I've written this to the email addresses were on the letter so I hope it reaches the right person.

The quilts and packages are very much appreciated and are a huge morale boost. All the boys who have received one are extremely thankful and value there quilts. 

Once again thank you very much and merry Christmas   

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One for a quilt made by Louise T 

Jan-Maree. Just a few lines to say Hello and to send you a big thank you for the 'Aussie Hero Quilt'  sent to me. I received it yesterday and it is just magnificent, it was the one with the motorbikes on it,. I am lost for words at the generosity and kindness. All I can come up with is, 'Thank you'   I'm totally grateful for the Quilt sent to me and I will cherish this generosity for years to come and I hope that one day I can show someone else the same generosity shown me. Kindest regards

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Dear Ros,

Many thanks for the quilt and for the kind words of support. The quilt will certainly come in handy as it is winter here and the weather is definitely colder than what I am used too!

It is such a kind thing for you to do, sending gifts to someone who you have never met.  I am humbled by your kindness and generosity and take comfort in the knowledge that people back home are thinking of us!

This is the fifth time that I have deployed on operations. I have served in East Timor, Solomon Islands, Iraq and this is my second tour of Afghanistan.

Once again, thank you very much for the quilt and the card. I hope that you realise how appreciative we are of these things, but even more so of the support from home. 

I hope that you have a very merry festive season with your loved ones!

Regards

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

Jan-Maree  xx