March 2024 - This month was to be all about LT Con 2024…the final planning, traveling to Dallas, the pre-conference team meetings, the final onsite preparations, the conference, clean up, the post-conference recovery time, and then reflection on the conference. This splash on the conference website does a better job summarizing the event than I can.
Get ready for LT Con 2024: Closer Together, Further Afield!
Following our stimulating 2022 Gathering, LT Con is back in 2024; fueled by the breakneck pace of change in language tech, we meet every other year. Join us for up to 5 jam-packed days of face-to-face connection, game-changing insights, and building the future of Bible translation and language development.
Why face-to-face? This year's conference is all about synergy. We believe the real magic happens when we share visions, brainstorm strategies, and co-create or integrate tools that empower Bible translation heroes around the world.
Why does that quote say more than I can about the conference? Sadly, I cannot speak a lot about the 2024 conference because I didn’t attend it. You are now asking, “Why did I not attend the conference I worked so hard for over a year to plan and then travel to Texas a week ahead of time to do final preparations?” That is a very good question with a sad and scary answer to follow. I am sorry I did not send out a prayer request to all of you at the time, but it all happened so quickly that I was in survival mode.
Angie and I had a mostly uneventful trip to Texas with just a little fog on the drive down. We settled into the Guest House, and T.R. started working on the pre-conference meetings and the final preparations for the conference. We were joyfully meeting attendees as they arrived, enjoying conversations over meals, and trying not to stress too much with all the work that yet needed to be done. Partway through that first week, Angie started having intestinal issues. We thought it was just the change in food and the warmer weather. We didn’t realize at the time it was a serious condition. An infection, Texas heat, and her Multiple Sclerosis were building up to something much worse in the background. We had a fun week while managing the minor intestinal issues with medication and rest. She was showing no other signs like a fever or pain. We visited with friends, T.R. had lots of meetings, T.R. presented on recruiting to some pre-conference team meetings, we played some games, and we prepared for the conference. Then it all fell apart on the Sunday before the conference. Angie became very weak and spent significant time in the bathroom and we became concerned. Monday morning she woke with a high spiking fever and massive intestinal problems. We ended up spending a day in the ER and two days in the hospital with Angie fighting a C. Diff infection and extreme dehydration. We were blessed in that her brother, Matt, had joined SIL this year and was also in attendance at the conference and helped at the hospital. Having family there to support us was a Godsend. The next challenge was what to do after leaving the hospital. The doctor was willing to release Angie if we either stayed in Texas for two weeks or headed straight home to the care of her doctor. Angie was struggling with mental clarity being in so many unknown places, so we were encouraged to get her back to familiar surroundings and routines. So, Matt and T.R. did a marathon 18+ hour drive from Texas to Indiana, skirting massive storms to get Angie home. So, that is why we did not attend LTCon 2024 and can say little about the actual event. T.R. did catch some sessions by streaming them while in the hospital and hopes to watch videos later when they are available.
Angie has recovered from her infection and we learned a lot about Multiple Sclerosis and hospitalization. We have been lucky as this was the first time in 25 years (since our twins were born) that Angie has been hospitalized. We now know what information to bring and what to explain to the doctors and nurses if this were to occur again. Pray for us now as we reflect on this experience. We need to consider Angie’s increasing health challenges and caregiving needs in balance with T.R.’s responsibilities, which he is discussing with Language Technology leadership.
