Finding Joy and Unity in Partnership; With Josh & Kaitlin Saenz and Nick and Rachel Wolverton
On this episode, Josh and Caitlin Saenz, along with Rachel and Nick Wolverton, share their experiences and motivations for partnering in a project to support Bible translation for the Niha people in Tanzania. They discuss the importance of having scripture in the heart language of communities and the impact it can have on their lives. The guests also highlight the joy and unity they have found in partnering together and involving their families in the project. The conversation explores the benefits and challenges of partnering together in giving and generosity. The participants discuss the importance of openness and vulnerability in discussing taboo topics like money. They highlight the joy and connection that comes from giving together and the accountability it provides. They also discuss the impact on their children and the normalization of generosity. The conversation concludes with advice for those interested in partnering together in giving and the potential for future projects.
About Josh, Kaitlin, Nick, and Rachel.
Nick and Rachel Wolverton have been passionate about Bible translation for a long time.
A few years ago, they invited some of their dearest friends, Josh and Kaitlin Saenz, to participate in this passion with them.
The couples do a lot of life together. As they considered ways to live in an intentional community with each other, they felt called to give as a community too.
They found a project that they wanted to fund, pooling resources so they could do more together than they could on their own.
“We’re linking arms together and bringing our daily lives into more alignment — not only in the places that we worship and serve in, but also the strategic ways that we can give,” Josh shared.
The couples are also instilling a spirit of communal generosity in their children — who range in age from 5 to 9 years old.
It’s their desire to raise their kids — the next generation — to feel comfortable in a space of shared generosity where they are helping advance the Great Commission.
“To instill generosity and a love for the Bible for all people in our kids at a young age meant a lot to us,” Kaitlin shared. “[We want] our boys to get to know that the Bible is not something that we want to take for granted, but something … to cherish — not only for ourselves, but for people around the world who don’t have that access.”
Teaching kids about living generous lives is important, but the Wolvertons and Saenzes want their children to see the value of being in community with others. As Hebrews 12:24 reminds us: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works” (NLT).
“Because of the individual nature of American culture, generosity and money in general are topics that aren’t on the table. And we don’t want that to be the case,” Nick shared. He and Rachel want to model a different way of life for their children. He continued: “[Generosity] is, in fact, another part of the Christian life that gets discipled through community and through relationships.”
The couples have invited other friends to participate in practicing collective generosity, sharing their passion for Bible translation and the projects they support.
Both couples would encourage everyone else to do the same in order to forge deeper community with one another.
“For people who are thinking, ‘How do I find this community that expands beyond one portion of my life?’ It’s taking risks in conversation and putting out an ask and asking people to pray and join you,” shared Kaitlin.
Both the Wolvertons and the Saenzes agree that the blessings of giving in community are incredible. God has entrusted them with resources — their time, talents and treasures — that they have the opportunity to steward. And they’re seeking to steward them all well, for God’s glory and the good of His people around the world.
Josh shared: “In thinking about Wycliffe, it often seems like financially there’s going to be a ceiling for capacity for each one of us. But that doesn’t have to be true!”
He continued: “We can actually blow the ceiling off if we are inviting others into [giving]. That’s been one of the strategic ways that we’ve been thinking of how we can continue to be generous: by inviting others into [it] with us. And that’s been a huge joy because God’s already got the plan for how He’s going to accomplish His purposes.”
“Our joys gets to grow because we’re with one another,” Kaitlin said. “We can celebrate [what God is doing] individually, but when we come together, the celebration feels larger.”
