A family in Bonn, Germany, got an unexpected note from the other side of the world recently after putting a message inside a bottle nearly a decade ago.

When Julia Gogos’ children and their friends wrote a message on a piece of paper, placed it inside a bottle and threw it into the Rhine River eight years ago, they did not expect an answer, according to ABC News.

“Please send us a message when you find our message in a bottle,” the Gogo’s note read.

At the time, Julia said she thought someone from a nearby country might find the glass bottle given to her by a friend, but did not expect the message that was delivered to their home last week.

The letter was signed by Scott, Julia, Lea, and Alice Joy, who live in Auckland, New Zealand.

“Dear Sila, Frida, Maja and Jon, we found this message in a bottle and are sending it back from Auckland, New Zealand,” the reply said. “It has traveled a long way!”

When they received the letter, Julia said the children were excited. However, her youngest daughter could not recall dropping the bottle into the river eight years ago because she was only four or five at the time.

“But when she realized what a cool story it was, she was of course also very excited,” her mother commented.

Now, Julia’s husband, Christian, is asking Facebook users for help in locating the family so they can thank them for their reply.

“It is a shame that the finders did not send any contact details. We are searching diligently,” Julia stated. “We also do not know whether it is a family or a group of friends or children. My husband Christian’s Facebook post has been shared a lot.”

Even if they never find the senders, the Gogo family wants them to know how much their note meant to them.

“We would like to thank the finders. Your message was really great for us,” Julia concluded.