Page 51 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 1

ISSUE ONE | JULY/AUG
I was born in the States, but I know is before “Kutembea Nawe”,
have been in Kenya since I was I had produced several albums
an infant and grown up and lived for our church and written a lot
here. I attended Rosslyn Academy of songs, so the exposure of that
for a few years of my primary song was an unexpected blessing,
education… the school we were but I’ve just been here doing my
going to was in the American thing all of these many years and
system, all of the kids in the still doing my thing. I met my
church were on the British system, husband in 2013 and got married
so when we would be on holiday in 2015, almost right before new
they would be in school. So my years’ day! I am a wife and a home
parents just saw, down the road maker and the creative director
we wouldn’t be able to establish at Nairobi Lighthouse Church,
many friendships, or really live life overseeing all the creative teams.
here, because of how it was at that I love to cook but also, I love to
time. So they pulled us out of the eat even more. No children yet but
school, home schooled us so that we have three dogs that I love …
we could really be involved in our probably a little bit too much!!
youth group. That’s how I grew
up, just being super connected to What’s it like living in Kenya?
church life and loving it… that’s I don’t have much to compare it
where I learned how to speak to other than the two years I lived
Swahili because I hated missing out in the States and in Australia,
out on the jokes. When I graduated so I would just say it’s home. I go
high school, I was 16 and I didn’t to the States and I feel awkward
really have a ‘what I want to do and out of place like I’m really a
with my life’ at that point. My missionary!! Haha … I don’t feel
desire from an early age was to like that in Nairobi. In fact, growing
get married and have babies, but up we had very few Wazungu
since I was not married at the time (Caucasians) in our church.
and needed to do something I went Sometimes it was just my family,
to Hillsong College in Australia so all of my friends were Kenyan,
where I was a vocal major. My so I think I just started thinking I’m
parents, did not want impose their also Kenyan! If I’d go into a room
own calling of being in Kenya as and Kenyans are maybe on one
missionaries. They wanted us to side and maybe internationals are
make our own choices of what God on the other side, I’d immediately
wanted us to do, they sent us all gravitate toward the Kenyans
out because Kenya for them was because I’d feel like I fit in here.
their calling and their choice, but
they wanted to make sure we’re How many years have you been
following what God has called us in Kenya?
to do. I did go to the States for my Well I’m turning 35 this year so 33
senior year in school, came back, years.
went to Australia but by that time
I was very, very sure Kenya was You are a pianist, producer,
KENYAN GOSPEL SINGER/MUSICIAN where I needed to be as well. So singer, songwriter, church
By: Chioma Phillips I came back home I joined staff creative director who’s married
at Nairobi Lighthouse Church in

My name is Rebekah Dawn Gituthu, I am American by birth, but Kenyan by heart as I like to say. My grandparents came to Kenya 2004/5. I have been serving ever to a musician. Please share
with us your music life and how
many years ago as missionaries. My dad met my mom in Kenya when she came out on a mission’s trip to serve with my dad’s family. since then, writing songs.
A lot of people know me for it all comes together in God.
They got married very young and went back to the states for Bible College, then came back and have been living in Nairobi since. My “Kutembea Nawe”. That was kind Both of my parents are musical.
dad was a pilot. He would fly to the islands off the coast of Kenya to a lot of the Muslim islands, Lamu, Pate, those islands and would of the song that exposed me past All my siblings and I were all
reach out and just share the gospel. After some time, he just started feeling the frustration of the dependency on missionaries and the four walls of our church and forced to take music lessons as
people coming from the outside in at that time, which was in the early 80s. And while they were so grateful for the missionaries, they so many people would ask me, children. We had to do it for a
themselves were missionaries also, they just felt that burden of “where are the Kenyans? Those that would go out to the rest of the ‘how do you feel about the sudden certain amount of time and then
world and you leading churches and just standing at the gates of the city” So in 1987 they planted Nairobi Lighthouse Church. success?’ What many people don’t after that, if you wanted to quit

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