How many fathers do you have?
SparkLit builds enduring relationships with our publishing partners. Florencia Ortiz, her grandmother Beatriz Buono, and mother Daniela Ortiz have all written stories to encourage SparkLit supporters.
You can send Argentine Christian publisher Florencia Ortiz to Littworld 2024 in Mexico.
Every night before I went to sleep, my dad used to tell me a story. One night, I asked him, ‘How many fathers do I have?’ He blinked and laughed. “Flor, you have two fathers. You have a father who can fail you, that’s me. And you have another father who will never fail you, the most wonderful dad in the world, Father God.” He then invited me to pray the prayer of faith. Even though I was small, and I don’t remember all the details, I prayed. I grew up knowing that God was by my side.
At the age of twelve, I began to doubt God. I told my mother that this made me feel distressed and sad. Instead of comforting me or getting angry, she congratulated me and hugged me. I now understand that these doubts were a turning point in my life. When I overcame my doubts, God stopped being the God of my parents and became my God.
Stuck on books
I grew up watching my dad and mum reading and writing. Long before I could read and write, I asked my grandmother to buy me a “compurora” so I could write books like my dad. However, I found learning to read without getting stuck difficult. My frustration made me avoid books. But my family and friends encouraged me and eventually reading became an everyday activity. God has given us the ability to reason and learn. Books allow us to explore new ideas and perspectives and reading exercises our hearts and minds.
At LittWorld 2015 in Singapore my mother met writers and publishers who risk their lives to share the message of the hope of Jesus Christ. This opened her eyes to the diversity and commitment of Christian communicators around the world. Because in Argentina Christians are not persecuted and we can share our faith openly, our challenge is to communicate the good news with excellence and sincerity.
My grandmother is the director of Christian publisher Certeza Argentina. She returns from each MAI, LetraViva, IFES and CMS conference with new ideas and strategies. Understanding the times in which we live helps us define our next moves and gives continuity to our ministry.
Working with my grandmother is quite a challenge. Ha! I like using new applications to control our inventory, monitor cash flow and update our website and social media. My biggest challenge is meeting the needs of clients of different nationalities, ages and church backgrounds.
I expect God will surprise me
Everything is still very new for me. LittWorld will be a unique opportunity to connect with people who have been making an impact over many years, learn what is happening around the world, and share the love of Jesus Christ with others.
Please pray that God will use me to create Bible studies and devotional books that communicate the hope and love of Jesus Christ to young people.
Florencia Ortiz works with Certeza Argentina in Buenos Aires.