I'm excited for you, Erika. Thank you for all you have done and have a safe trip home.

The quilts are beautiful !!!

Thank you for all you are doing !!

Where are the pictures?

Wow!!! I think what you are doing is great! I'm sure it will go great! Keep us updated!

Click on "Sienna's Gigi" above Erika's avatar. It'll bring up her profile . Find her "# of topics" and click on " list". It is the first post.

Thankyou!

Thank the Lord you are OK! You have done an absolutely wonderful job of representing our country, working to defend our freedoms and democracy, trying to help women of another culture, educating them about our society, showing them how American women are treated, and how we are valued and respected. I hope your efforts will spark the beginnings of a movement toward independence for these women and a new sense of self-worth. I pray that modern-minded Afghan men will support them.

I'm so glad the Afghan women now realize you and other women on post are not in prison as punishment. My heavens! I know they live in a repressed society, but that really shocked me. I pray they spread the word so that misconceptions like this can be corrected.

It really is true that we don't appreciate how fortunate we are to live in America and enjoy the freedoms and rights we have. Thanks to you and all the men and women with whom you serve. I think I speak for everyone when I say we, all of us, are so proud of you.

The quilts made by the Afghan women are absolutely stupendous. What magnificant works of art! I was under the impression that they were coming to "quilting class" to learn how to quilt! I think even the best of us could learn a heck of a lot from THEM! And to think they were all worked by treadle machine and hand-stitching! A lot of our grandmothers did the same thing, but their quiilts, although beautiful, were not nearly so intricate. These are just amazing! It is too bad that your quilting class came to an end so soon after it began. You worked so hard to get it started.

I'm so glad you will be on your way home very soon. I can't imagine how excited you must be. No matter how much you love your job, how much good you've done, and what a good impression you've left behind regarding American women and our military, there is nothing as wonderful as coming home to family and being wrapped in their arms with welcoming hugs. I'm not family, but here's a great big hug from me.

Be careful, have a safe trip, and WELCOME HOME!

Carol,
It started off as a quilt class but ended up being a quilting/sewing bee type thingy. We could not screen the women before hand so we didn't know that the word got out and women that already knew how to "compile" (quilt) would be the ones coming. They came in large groups but we could only select a few. None of us knew how to speak a lick of the others' language but we all spoke the same language when it came down to to handquilting, sewing, crocheting and knittting. We had interpreters sometimes but mostly it was just us and the local women. We sent word back to some guilds in the states and they sent boxes of all kinds of things and we gave them to the women and they would come back the next week with all types of beautiful things. Then we had an all-woman bazaar and they sold things that they made from the materials we supplied to our servicemembers, coalition forces and contractors. Arguing prices and all! It was a blast and we did it three times so far since then. These women immediately used the money they made to buy things for their families. This is a country with 73% illiteracy but they managed to get their kids in schools backed by the US. They would come and tell us where their kids ranked in class, how well they read or wrote and they would show us reports from the teachers. Again, I can't speak a lick of Dari but all of us are moms so we know what pride in our kids look like. They are so proud becasue they are the breadwinners now and are able to work their stalls at bazaars to make money. Joyce found patterns on the internet where they were able to make crochet accessories for toys, iPods etc., and OUR troops love them. Sarah is not pictured but her and Joyce taught them how to make granny squares into kids' blankets. My star pupil was Khobra and I am offically part of her family. I am her sister and believe me when I tell you that she knows the importance of a 1/4 inch seam. I taught her paperpiceing from kits that abdconsultant sent me and she took the rest of the kits and taught the other women. She came back the next week with all of the kits completed and the women in tow beaming because hers was "the best." The US and coalition forces have done a GREAT job in educating the kids (especially girls!) of this country for the last eight years. Our country is responsible for liberating the hearts and minds of a WHOLE nation by impacting a WHOLE generation that will last for years and years to come. I am so happy to be going home but I am going to miss this bunch of women.

Hi Erika,

I am so happy that your idea brought about such successful changes. I had no idea. I don't think I missed any of your posts, but I wish I had known so I could have followed your progress. It certainly sounds like many good things have happened. The whole society is beginning to change for the better, women and girls are learning how to embrace education, independence and become self-sufficient, all because of you and your efforts and those of everyone who helped. I had no idea that so many women had responded and wanted to participate but had to be turned away, but I understand the security cautions.

I know you are anxious to go home, but hopefully there will be others who can step into your shoes to continue this wonderful program, and perhaps the Afghan women will be able to organize so they can pass on what they have learned to others and to their daughters.

You know, the war details, shootings, bombings, body counts, etc. are the only things we hear about here at home. The media should also inform the American public of some of the good that has been accomplished by our presence in the Mid-East, but the chance of that happening is probably zero right now since the anniversary of 9/11 is upon us. Perhaps later on one of the networks can devote some air time to showing the other side of coin.

You say you will miss the Afghan women you worked with. Believe me, I'm sure they will miss you, too.

Well Done!

Carol

The media is doing what they are paid to do sadly. Please google AFN Afghanistan or DVIDS because that it where the broadcasters in theater post the real stories of our troops, humanitarian efforts and the way the US and coalition forces are changing this country. I work for AFN and the stories they are getting from the Afghan people are awesome.