MESHACK HABIB: BORN, RAISED AND CALLED TO SERVICE BY GRACE
“It takes the village to raise a child” in Africa this is a common phrase in our community gatherings and celebrations to appreciate the place the family, relatives, community and institutions of learning and the church have contributed in the making of a leader. The words of the preacher in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 echoes the African proverb above, that “Two are better than one…” the preacher agrees that two have better productivity, support, protection, and survival mechanism.
The success of my enrollment and studies at Wesley Seminary is because of men and women godly ordained over the years to the formation of the person I have become. My name “Habib” is an Islamic name meaning “most beloved”. I got the name not because I earned but because it was gift of grace endowed to me. My parents tell me that during my infancy I was so sick, and my parents could not afford my medical treatment. My dad had a friend called Habib, who ensured that I got the best of treatment and even paid for my medical bills, so he named me after the Muslim man. My life was saved through Gods providential grace through a Muslim believer, Saved by Grace!
My enrollment to bible college, calling to ministry, placement in service and even now is humble submission to appreciate from the bottom of my heart the gifts endowed to me for study. Being an ordained minister who has served in Kenya for over 25 years, and having served as an overseer of Urban Ministers, I know the pain of ministers to care for their families as well as pursue personal growth and development. The scholarship gifts that come to such men for training is not at all a luxury to seek self-gratification but is a great relief to equip them for service as God would place them.
The day that I told my dad that I have opted to join bible school, I was released from home to go live, feed and be raised by the church. That is so because many in my context consider pastoral calling a menial responsibility and often associated with failure. But his words became true, from that day onward I lived at the church, was fed by the church, raised by church, literally married through the church. He taught me to surrender to God who raised me up through the community of believers.
Twenty-seven years ago the church adopted me to pursue a calling in ministry when my parents felt that was a worthless program to undertake. Church members gave with love to see me go to bible school and utilize the gifts they saw in me. Over the years my parents and community have appreciated the outreach into their lives and even though they may not be financially endowed to support, the change of lives God brought our way, is a lasting testimony.
In return to this gesture, my wife and I fostered two daughters from a community we served in and was saturated with "commercial sex trade" early in grade three. Currently they are in third year in high school. We have reared them together with our own two children as our daughters. Whatever much we receive as gifts in our ministry as ministers of the gospel we have shared to see these children grow and go to school in a safe environment.
Currently we are in a season of prayer as our church in Kenya is for the first time contemplating to send the first African Couple as missionaries oversees. Pray with us as we have received this burden with my family to respond, SEND ME LORD, HEAR I AM. So it is with tears on behalf of the international body of students, some who seek support to be equipped for service but may never receive, that I appreciate the kind gesture to me and my family through the continual support of the community of believers in Christ. THANK YOU!
Family
Meshack and Catherine Habib have dedicated their lives to service of Mentoring Couples, Emerging young Families and Youths. They are also called to equip the church in Christian Ministries, Worship Training, Premarital Counselling and Administrative Functions of the Local Church.
Blessed with two girls in their marriage Tehillah and Shekaniah, they have endeavored to raise them as a Godly Generation. Tehillah has a calling in Music and Dance Ministry while Shekaniah is developing as a Fine Artist and Guitarist. God has blessed us with two adopted daughters Staicy and Faith currently in Second year in High School. They are a testimony of how God can pick up broken pieces and use for His glorious purpose.
