I needed a letter from Elder Cooper to read to the Ward - this is what he sent:

Dear everyone that is going to hear this letter,

When I think about how my mission has been so far and I look back on the expectations I had about how my mission would be, I realize that it is nothing like I expected - it's better than I expected.  Although I have only been out for 4 months, these 4 months have been packed full of amazing experiences and I can understand now why so many  missionaries claim their mission as the best two years of their life.  The thing that's important to understand though is that your mission will not inherantly be the best two years of your life.  The fact of the matter is that this time in your life has the potential to be the worst time of your life if you let it.  You are asked to give up so much to serve a mission.  Basically, you sacrifice your life for two years.  But, it has equal potential to be the greatest time in your life.  The  key to knowing which way it will go is you.  No one can decide what your experience will be like except you.  Expect to work hard, expect to be frustrated.  Count on asking yourself "why am I here?".  There will be times when you want to go home.  There will be times when you'll just feel like giving up.  But, it takes energy to accomplish anything.  It takes energy for a bird to fly, a ball to roll, or even something as small as a feather blowing through the air.  As you put energy into your mission, expect that energy to accomplish something.  Be thankful when it is hard because you know you're getting somewhere.  I wouldn't trade the frustration I've experienced in the past 4 months for anything.  I've learned too much from those experiences, and they mean too much to me.  When it is hard, ask what you can learn and walk away from the experience a better person.  You can't stop bad things from happening, but you can control how those events will affect you.  I can't tell you what it's like being on a mission because it will be different for everyone.  As you approach situations with the right attitude, turning to your Heavenly Father, it will become the best two years up to that point in your life.