Pioneering publisher and bookseller Beatriz Buono honours outgoing SparkLit president.

I served with John and Gayelene Harrower in the shadow of the military dictatorship; a time of great fear and pain in Argentina. Without their example and encouragement, my family and I would not be who we are today.

John was Nehemiah among us. He thought and acted as an engineer, economist, pastor and theologian. Before the ruins of our student and literature ministries, he wept, cried out, devised a strategy, established a plan, gathered resources and raised up a team. Despite the attacks he faced from inside and outside our ministry, he counted on God’s favour, kept his faith firm, and little by little achieved the results we hoped for.

Guided by the Spirit of God, John was able to see beyond my youth and inexperience and persuade me to join the team that would rescue the Certeza publishing house from bankruptcy. He equipped me with English courses, mentors, and links with publishers and Christian literature ministries in the United States and Australia.

With wisdom and faith

What is it about John that I most value? His childlike but unshakable faith? His passion, discipline or sense of humour? His multilayered reading of reality? His judicious reforms that reached the very roots of our organisation?

Before he left Argentina in 1988, John gathered together the ABUA and Certeza teams and painted a scenario of the challenges we would face in the coming years. “Crisis or no crisis, the church of Jesus Christ in Argentina will grow and it will need good books.” He encouraged us to become jugglers and keep as many balls in the air as possible, so that if one falls, the others remain aloft. Thanks to this wise strategy, our bookshops, publisher, importer and distributor survived and flourished for many years until, for various reasons, the time came to focus only on publishing and distributing our own books.

In gladness and in grief

John and his son David visited us in February 2018. When we organised the itinerary for their trip many months earlier, none of us could have imagined what was going to happen during their stay in Buenos Aires. I don’t think it was a coincidence. God enabled John to accompany me when the sale of the Certeza bookshop was settled. Again John challenged me. “Let’s pray in the shop.” This was a dark and sad time and I was reluctant to return to the empty premises. Later, I appreciated the healing I received as John prayed, giving thanks for the years of service we had provided in that place. We had been together at the opening celebrations and we were together in the grief of closure.

I thank God that he brought this precious family to serve with the Asociación Bíblica Universitaria Argentina (ABUA) and the Certeza publishing house. They came as prophets of hope in times of desolation. Thank you John and Gayelene. You were our comfort and family. You influenced and impacted many people. I am one of them.

Beatriz Buono is the director of Christian publisher Certeza Argentina.

SparkLit nurtures Christian literature ministries in difficult places.

You can help Daniela Ortiz take the gospel to every profession in Argentina.

My name is Daniela Ortiz. I am 43 years old and I live in the city of Buenos Aires. I discovered my passion for communicating the lordship of Jesus Christ through books while I was a teenager. For more than 20 years I have seen how books take stories and ideas to places and moments where the authors cannot go. Books touch the heart, mind and soul. Just like our Saviour, literature crosses frontiers to reach lonely hearts in surprising and diverse ways. 

I have witnessed how God uses books to expand his kingdom. The Holy Spirit uses books to exhort, guide, motivate and enrich us. Books can challenge our thinking, help us break bad habits and develop new patterns of behaviour. 

Christian authors from Europe and North America have made an incalculable contribution to the church in Latin America. But we must also raise up local authors who write from the perspective of our own customs, culture and context. This enables us to grow in faith and live out the gospel in our daily lives.

I work with the Evangelical University Network. We publish biblical, gospel-centred resources that equip university students and young professionals to become agents of change in their study, work and family. We want each student and professional to see the workplace as a mission field where they offer their God-given talents and passions so that our cities and people will be ­transformed. 

Looking back I can see how God has prepared me for this role. God has been weaving a colourful tapestry; intertwining people, knowledge and opportunities. My experience with a national ministry to adolescents, as well as local Christian bookshops and Christian publisher Certeza Argentina, has equipped me to publish books that are biblical, practical and relevant.

Please pray that our books will be a redemptive presence wherever and whenever they fall into someone’s hands.

Daniela Ortiz manages content creation for the Evangelical University Network in Argentina.

$12,000 will enable the Evangelical University Network to publish four books and four training manuals.

Argentine publisher and bookseller Beatriz Buono honours retired Sparklit General Secretary Len Woodley.

Certeza Argentina has been called to communicate the lordship of Jesus Christ by publishing biblical and contextual books by Latin American men and women. My best tribute to Len and his work with us is to say that, against all odds, thanks to God and also in great measure to the contribution of SparkLit, we continue to pursue our vision.

A friend in disguise 

I first met Len when he began courting my friend Lesley McGrath in 1987. My roots are more Italian than Argentine, so I needed to overcome my natural prejudice to discover behind that dignified gentlemanly demeanour a sensitive and joyful man with a passion to advance God’s kingdom through the ministry of Christian literature.

It was a wise and brave man who told me over breakfast during his first visit to Argentina that, to avoid collapse, Certeza needed to close all its branches and spare only the central Buenos Aires bookstore.

A friend in adversity 

It is not easy to run a business in Argentina. As well as competing with large foreign publishers and global online retailers, Certeza has to deal with sudden recessions and devaluations.

Len’s sober and timely counsel has helped us weather one storm after another. He didn’t always apply the same formula or remedy. Sometimes he advised us to close down and scale back. At other times he encouraged us to grow and expand. His business sense rarely failed him. 

A friend 

However, if there is one thing an Argentine values more than wisdom, it is companionship. Len is a dear friend who, together with his wife Lesley, has had such a positive influence on me and the ministry of Certeza.

Len, thank you for respecting me and affirming my leadership. Thank you for challenging me to grow by recommending pertinent reading and training opportunities. Thank you for treating me as an equal; colleague to colleague.

I pray that God will strengthen you and surprise you with new paths in which you may continue to serve him. 

Beatriz Buono is the director of Christian publisher Certeza Argentina.

SparkLit nurtures Christian literature ministries in difficult places.

Pablo Vernola tells us what led him to start producing home-grown Christian education resources in Argentina.

“When I was a child my family lived through very difficult times. Economic and marital problems were tearing my parents apart until an uncle invited them to a weekly Bible study and prayer meeting. Little by little I saw God transform their relationship. I could not deny that a miracle was occurring in my family. We all surrendered to the Lord Jesus and began to attend a church near our home.”

“Since childhood I have loved to study the Bible. After secondary school I enrolled at the Baptist Seminary and God confirmed my calling to serve him in ministry. Over 11 years I pastored a congregation while studying theology and education. Then in 2017 I was asked to assume responsibility for the National Bible Teachers’ Network.”

Teach them to obey all I have commanded you

“In diverse congregations throughout Argentina we have seen a desire to learn and teach the Bible in greater depth. This awakening has renewed our calling and strengthened our commitment to this beautiful ministry. It is God who goes forward, opening doors, directing our vision and providing the necessary resources. He is faithful!”

Thanks to your support we have published a Christian education curriculum for children, youth and adults. All three series (Step by Step, Heroes and New Bible Training) now have four manuals. We are currently adding a fifth manual to each series.

The opportunities and challenges are many

“We are also preparing guides for discipling new Christians. Instead of systematically presenting Christian doctrines, this new series will encourage the new believer to know and follow Jesus by studying a gospel. Whatever their context or needs, this approach will enable new disciples to be transformed by the word of God so that they might conform to the will of our heavenly Father and the image of his Son.”

“We are planning another series to help people study Scripture in small groups. These inductive Bible studies will explore not only the text but also practical applications that help believers grow more committed to God and neighbour.”

“Thank you for your support. You are part of God’s response to our cry.”

“We count on your prayers. Please pray for the recruitment of new writers to our editorial team. Pray that the Lord will give us the wisdom and creativity necessary to produce material that is relevant and useful for the church.”

Pablo Vernola directs the National Bible Teachers’ Network and teaches at the Baptist Seminary in Buenos Aires.

$27,000 over three years has enabled the publication of Christian education curriculums for all ages in Argentina.

You can equip Lilián Robayna to immerse people in God’s Word wherever Spanish is spoken.

Despite being located in provincial Argentina the Bible study guides we publish for home fellowship groups are being used across denominations and continents. This is possible because we have embraced digital technologies. From anywhere in the world, wherever Spanish is spoken, readers can download an ebook or order books printed locally on demand.

We are just scratching the surface. There is so much unrealised potential. But to be able to concentrate on our mission, our ministry must first become self­sustaining.

Equipped to serve

My name is Lilián Robayna. I am married to Miguel and we have two adult children. We long to see our fellow Argentines saved and steeped in God’s Word.

At our church I help coordinate Christian education for a hundred children, youth and adults. As many come from impoverished homes we reinforce our Bible teaching by also developing personal disciplines and vocational skills.
Where possible we use available literature but, to meet the needs of our people, we are often obliged to write our own material. We even write and perform plays and sketches.

I graduated as a preschool teacher but worked for twenty-five years at our local Bible college. I began performing administrative tasks and eventually became responsible for the production of a journal for church leaders called Compromiso Cristiano (Christian Commitment).

Learning on the job

Ten years ago I was invited to work with Christian Growth Publishing. For the last three years I have been in charge. I have no formal training in publishing and don’t feel equipped for this role. However, God has been good and has provided opportunities for me to grow and learn. SparkLit sponsored a LetraViva training event in Buenos Aires in 2011. I continue to use the skills and contacts I acquired there. But I need to deepen my knowledge and develop my skills so that I can do my job more efficiently and effectively.

Opportunities to share

LetraViva is a network of Latin American Christian publishers that provides logistical support, professional development and mutual encouragement. At this year’s LetraViva training event in Mexico, I look forward to learning from the experience of other publishers who share our vision and face the same challenges.

Thank you for supporting Latin American Christian publishers.

Please pray that our ministry will become self-sustaining so that we can dedicate ourselves to our mission. Pray that in small fellowship groups many people will come to know Jesus and be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Publishing professional Daniela Ortiz left LittWorld 2015 as a member of a global family.

When we travel we fill our bags with clothes, shoes, and in my case, books. We return home with dirty clothes, worn shoes, and in this case, valuable tools. We accumulate experiences and feelings, adventures and acquaintances. Like tattoos they become a permanent imprint we bear wherever we go.

My experience at LittWorld was short but significant. It marked me personally and professionally. It’s evident whether I’m rolling up my sleeves to work, or sunbathing with my family. LittWorld was a rich combination of people, moments, training, prayer and praise in so many different languages.

A shared Spirit. A shared passion

LittWorld gave me the opportunity to take time away from my daily concerns and pressures to refocus, review and evaluate my role. During the workshops I learned how to be a more effective team leader, build a brand and create a marketing plan. I met authors, editors and publishers. I heard their stories and I saw the passion that moves them.

The persecution endured by so many of our brothers and sisters around the world helped me to appreciate my situation. I used to think that our economic situation was critical. Now, I thank God for allowing us to preach the Gospel freely, without having to fear for our lives every time we go to work.

We have work to do

At Certeza where I work, we want to develop our business relationship with a secular publisher that sells door-to-door across Argentina reaching the homes of people who have never been to a church or heard the message of Jesus Christ. They already distribute the New Bible Dictionary and Through the Bible Through the Year by John Stott.

Now we hope they will distribute a Bible and a book of reflections and meditations. We are also addressing the challenge of promoting Latin American authors and distributing their books throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Please pray that God will give us energy and guidance as we reorganise and restructure our publishing and bookselling operations. We need to make the most of all the resources and talents we have.

New horizons have opened up

Before LittWorld, I worked in a publishing house and Christian bookstore. Now, I am part of God’s plan to take the Good News to the whole world through books. I love books. I know that in the hands of the right people at the right time, books are used by the Holy Spirit to transform and inspire us.

Before LittWorld, my prayers were limited to my country and my work. In the atmosphere I breathed at LittWorld, I absorbed a vision for global publishing.

Daniela Ortiz works at Certeza Argentina, a publisher and book distributor based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

$500 will enable a young publishing professional to attend a LetraViva training event in Mexico in June 2016.

You can send Argentine publishing professional Daniela Ortiz to Singapore to be trained and inspired at LittWorld 2015.

Books cross frontiers and oceans. They reach across cultural, economic and social barriers. In the hands of the right people at the right time, books are used by the Holy Spirit to comfort, challenge, exhort, revive, motivate and transform us.

When I saw how God uses books to change the lives of young people, I decided to devote myself to the production and distribution of good Christian literature. I want to enable God’s message to reach Spanish-speaking people through books that are biblical, engaging and practical.

Growing up with books

My name is Daniela Ortiz. I have been married to Germán for sixteen years and we have three beautiful children. For over twenty years we have dedicated ourselves to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with young people by all possible means, including books.

I have worked with Christian publisher and bookseller Certeza Argentina since I was a student. I now work full time and was recently appointed business manager. Over the years I have collaborated in every area of our ministry so I know what our team needs to grow and operate with excellence.

The local perspective

Publishing books in a country like Argentina is difficult. The hurdles we face daily include high inflation rates, regular increases in the cost of printing, changing import and export policies, barriers to free trade and the precarious financial situation of our customers. However, we know that this is what God has called us to do and we continue to accept our vocation as a challenge and privilege.

I love working with authors and seeing how the books we publish serve a variety of audiences. We publish books by and for Latin Americans; books that reflect and appeal to Latin American thinking. We focus on the development of young authors. Numerous well known Christian authors were first published by Certeza Argentina.

The big picture

Participating in LittWorld will give me an opportunity to take time away from my daily concerns and economic pressures to refocus, review and evaluate my role. At LittWorld I will receive training that will impact my current and future work with Certeza Argentina. I hope to meet people who will inspire and encourage me with their testimonies. I expect God to guide and refresh me so that I might follow his will.

Pray that Certeza Argentina will fulfil its vision to communicate the lordship of Jesus Christ over all things. Ask God to will use our books to serve and renew his church.

Daniela Ortiz is the manager of Certeza Argentina, a Christian publisher based in Buenos Aires.

$3,000 will enable Daniela Ortiz to join more than 200 publishing professionals in Singapore at LittWorld 2015, the global conference for Christian publishers.