George was the only friend I’ve had who was here in Botswana the entire 10+years I’ve been here plus a Facebook friend prior to my arrival. He was the first person in Botswana to friend me on Facebook, anticipating my arrival to Botswana. He told me he had been praying for me since my car crash in 2008 that delayed my move to Botswana from the US. This was his first message to me in June 2009, eight months before I moved here:
"Thank God for the calling on your life... There are people here in Botswana who have been waiting for you and have been praying for you... there is also a harvest field that is ripe and still too few labourers (as in any other place it the world).Little did I know at that time that George would become not just a co-labourer in the harvest field in Botswana, but a dear friend and a brother to me. This is what George wrote to me last June on our 10-year Friendversary on Facebook:
Well, Botswana awaits you..."
"Ten years of fb friendship feels like a drop in the ocean. Only 10 years. It feels like a lifetime.We started as co-labourers in Youth for Christ Botswana in February 2010. George helped show me the ropes and get settled into ministry.
Ember Liddiard, you are a friend, a sister, a partner in the mission and vision of making a difference in the lives of many people in Botswana and beyond for Jesus. I'm blessed and privileged to know you and to fellowship and work with you."
I learned years later that he was the one who had designed the "Knowing God" tracts that we still use to share the gospel with youth, prisoners, hospital patients, etc.
Late in 2011, we were two of the original 31 people that the Holy Spirit brought together at the first Unashamed Movement Botswana gathering at Tsholofelo Park in Gaborone. I remember I led worship with my guitar and George helped organize us into prayer triplets to pray for each other.
We then became part of the Unashamed Movement committee, and at the first committee meeting, I remember that, while George had the most experience in missions and ministry at that point, I believe he was the one who nominated young 21-year-old Bobo Palai to be the Chairman (or at least he was in support of the motion). He could see the potential in Bobo, and many other youth. George was servant-hearted and humble—he didn’t want the spotlight, but rather served selflessly in the background with joy. But a couple times he did make the national newspapers with Unashamed.
For the Unashamed Movement events, George worked hard behind the scenes helping to organize them. At the events themselves, he still served—whether riding his bike and directing the police escort at the prayer walks, carrying the sound system up Kgale Hill for the Up Kgale events, holding the flags atop Kgale Hill behind those speaking or leading worship, counselling people, etc.
I believe George made that "God is not done yet" JESO O RENA MO BOTSWANA (Jesus Reigns in Botswana) banner above, or at least when he tagged me and many others in it on Facebook, it was the first time I'd seen it. He ministered using Facebook for both Unashamed and YFC, posting encouraging things and messaging with youth. I recall him sharing with the Unashamed committee that when a young lady had messaged a testimony of how the JESO O RENA MO BOTSWANA prayer walk had caused her to rededicate her life to Jesus, he wrote:
“Touched me. Am crying now. This is what makes angels sing and dance. I am so grateful to GOD for this.”He was passionate about seeing the youth of Botswana reached with the gospel and discipled to be lifelong followers of Jesus. He also taught Sunday school and helped with the youth group at Open Baptist Church, where he was studying theology from Baptist Theological College via distance learning.
Though born a Namibian, George became a Motswana at heart. He moved to Botswana in 2004, after feeling called to serve as a missionary here. He married a Motswana, Zil-lee, and was blessed with three beautiful daughters. He loved this country and its people. During the BOT50 Jubilee celebrations in 2016, we posted prayer points for whichever town/village the BOT50 roving torch was in that night, covering the nation in prayer that year every night at 9pm. I usually posted the points, but if I couldn’t do it for some reason, George was next in line to do it, and if he couldn’t, then Bobo would. Pictured is when Bobo was asked to pray over the torch the day it was sent out from Gaborone at the start of that 50th Jubilee year and when the torch was passed to the people in Tlokweng later that morning.
Boago, also in the Unashamed committee, traveled with the torch at times to pray at the kgotla meetings. When he was there, he would send us specific prayer points about each village/town that we would post online. Otherwise, we just shared what we felt the Holy Spirit was guiding us to pray for each place.
George was a man faithfully committed to prayer for the nation, but also for his family, and for his YFC and Unashamed Movement families (he didn’t consider us friends, but family). He told me that every night he would sing the Aaronic blessing (in Numbers 6) over Zil-lee and their 3 daughters.
George also homeschooled his daughters for a couple years while studying for his theological degree, and later served as the PTA president at the private Christian school the girls attend. Last year on Valentine’s Day, he told us he couldn’t make the Unashamed Movement committee meeting because he had planned to do something special for the 4 ladies in his home, to surprise them all with something.
Other times he stayed home taking care of the kids to allow Zil-lee to train for long running races. Family was very important to George.
George could also be random and liked to pull pranks and make people laugh. For example, one time, he decided to make our mutual friend Vivien and me into Jedi warriors and post our pictures on Facebook :).
George and I also shared a similar dry humour (though his was drier than mine!) so we messaged each other witty jokes and enjoyed lighthearted banter back and forth. Here's an example from the hot Botswana summer of 2019, when my swimming goggles literally melted in my car:
But sometimes even just a minute after joking, we also wrote meaningful things to each other, sharing prayer requests and encouraging one another. He was someone I could confide in and ask for prayers when I was discouraged, and he also asked for my prayers during his difficult times.
George became the Youth for Christ Botswana Member Care Chaplain at some point in 2015 I believe. Though that meant more intentional and scheduled one-on-one meetings in person, it seemed just a continuation of the supportive friendship we’d already been enjoying for years. He had always been interested to know how I was really doing, and willing to listen to me share (and sometimes cry as I did).
George was someone who truly loved God and loved people. He donated blood over 70 times, and he told us he saw blood donation as a practical way to "love our neighbor and help those in need."
Other practical ways he showed love include that he let me keep my car at his place when I went for trips, even one time driving it to the mechanic while I was at Youth Week camp so that I would be able to have my car ready and fixed upon return. He also allowed me to do laundry with the machine at his house if I ever really needed a load washed urgently. Whenever something I had broke, he would try to fix it. He said it was his pleasure to help in such ways.
For example, in 2016, after I tore the ligament in my ankle and couldn't drive, he was willing to come during December holidays to Phakalane from Gaborone to drive me to YFC office in Mochudi and back to get something I needed for Youth Week preparations.
That reminds me that another time, he drove my car from Gaborone to Mochudi and back to the Tlokweng border on the morning of Youth Week departure because one of the German volunteers had forgotten her residence permit at the YFC house in Mochudi (and she didn't have a car and I had to stay with the youth in the buses and at the border). That was roughly 140km (87 miles) roundtrip! George was always willing to go the extra mile...sometimes literally!
In early 2018, George took over as the Youth for Christ Botswana National Director. As a parting gift to the outgoing directors, E.J. and Koekoes van As, George made them a wooden map of Botswana with a cross on it. George loved making things out of wood, i.e. tables, shelves. So George was even Christlike in his love for carpentry 😉.
While National Director and for many years beforehand, George did most of the groundwork (writing and delivering letters to schools & prisons and following up to secure openings, arranging accommodation, etc.) to prepare for outreaches by YFC Canada's Sam Rowland. Once Sam arrived, George drove him to every opening in schools and prisons, helped set up/tear down the sound system and projector, and ran the sound board during the presentations. In the first picture below, you will see a student holding up Sam's book. Every student and teacher would receive Sam's book (which shares powerful testimonies of ten people), as well as the YFC "Knowing God" booklet that George designed.
In 2018, Sam, George, a volunteer named Kaelo, and I spent a week together in Mahalapye to reach thousands of students there with the hope of the gospel.
The previous trip, George went with Sam to schools in Francistown.
George did similar groundwork and transportation for an American team led by Bob Bishop (aka Mr. X) who have been on three long outreaches to Botswana so far, also reaching thousands of students with the gospel.
George not only kept a servant heart while National Director, but also continued in his humble attitude, asking Maruping and I (the two Centre Directors), to tell him when we thought things could be done better or differently. For example, he wrote this to us middle of last year:
Good morning Em and Maruping.George’s love for the Word of God inspires me. He had such a hunger for the Word and to go deeper in his relationship with God. He even copied the Bible by hand!
[…]
I see the two of you as "managers" and leaders in the organization. I love team work and team responsibility and that has always been what YFC is for me.
I appreciate your input, advice, and your growth in decision making and taking the ministry forward. We know that we depend on God and that even our gifts and abilities come from Him. We cannot do it without God.
I respect you and appreciate your input. I never mind if you tell me, "George, we can do things better or differently". Please always feel free to talk. I am learning as well and together we can still learn more.
Appreciate your love and prayers.
Keep holding onto God. Keep trusting and going for intense fellowship with Him. We do not want to splash around in shallow waters. I desire deeper and deeper depths in my relationship with God and I pray the same for you.
Much love to you both.
It became harder for him to read the Bible last year around October, after the cancer had spread to his brain and he had radiation treatment. He wrote to me in October saying he was looking more on Jesus and still copying the Bible, though it took him longer, “but I just want to be in the Word.” He started using an audio Bible more, but soon afterward, his reading ability improved. The last time I saw him at his home when we went to lead worship with him and his family, his worn bible was right next to him. In true George fashion, he wanted to know how we were really doing.
Four days later, about two weeks before he passed away, I saw three missed calls from him and a message: “Hi Em. Need help.” I immediately excused myself from my dinner meeting to call him back, thinking it might be some sort of emergency. He told me that it was hard for him to read the Bible again, and he couldn’t find his InTouch Messenger audio Bible anywhere. Could I help him get another one? Wow…that really touched me…that it was a crisis to George to not have the Word of God. His sister later shared that this wasn’t the first time either—that earlier in life when George lost his bible, he frantically called all of his friends trying to find it. Truly it was his daily bread.
So that night after hearing George’s urgent request for an audio Bible, I arranged with another missionary, Jeff Sukup, who brought me a new InTouch Messenger audio Bible and another audio player with scriptures and teachings on it that I was able to get to George the next day. He was really happy about that. His last messages to me were about how thankful he was to Jeff and me for getting him those, how cool they were… and his last message to me the day before he went to hospital the last time ended with this: “I’m having a great time in the InTouch Bible 🙏”
Through it all, George kept his eyes on Jesus and kept saying, “God is faithful.” I know my initial post on the day he passed into glory shared the verse, “I have fought the good fight, I have run the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Now I hope you have a better understanding of why those words are so fitting for George, and why I know that he heard these words from Jesus upon arrival: “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:23). I found this in a message I wrote to him back in 2014: “When I think of people who have a quiet but powerful impact and whose reward will be great in heaven, I often think of you.”
In closing, I’ll share some of George’s own words in messages he sent. May they be an encouragement to you as well:
“The thing that GOD has always laid strongly on my heart is that we need to teach people to get into the WORD of GOD for themselves and not to depend only on others to teach them the WORD of GOD.”
“Keep holding on to Jesus. Sometimes God uses you in ways you might not even know about. Remain faithful and true to Him and seeds are planted in people's lives that sometimes you might not even know about.”
“We each on a mission and our mission is GOD. It is for HIM to transform us more and more into HIS likeness. It is not what we are doing for HIM. It is not how well we preach, share, testify, rap…It is never about what we can do for GOD. It is who HE is in us. We need to never ever forget that because that is our message, that is our very life. CHRIST in us, the hope of glory.”
"GOD works in amazing ways when we are simply open and willing vessels to be used by HIM."
“There was never a promise that life and ministry would be easy. But we push through, not in our own strength but in the strength of the Lord.”
“God is faithful and He never fails…Thank God that we know that and thank God that God is bigger, greater, stronger than the enemy and all that the enemy can throw at us. The battle has been won, the enemy has been defeated. In the chaos and mess of life that is a beam of light in all our situations.”And finally, I'll share George’s response to Pastor Owen Isaacs' post on Facebook (you will see George’s comment at the bottom):
9 October 2014
Owen Isaacs
Numbers 32:18 ESV -- We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance.
May God raise a generation of radical believers who, like these men of Israel will not rest until others have received their portion of inheritance....men and woman who will be on the knees on behalf of the nation, standing in the gap and taking the appropriate steps to take the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judea......My heart warms as I remember that I saw a glimpse of that with the young men and women of the Unashamed Movement Botswana at the "Jeso o Rena mo Botswana" walk the other day
Comments:
Tshenolo Bobo Palai: Amen Moruti. He is indeed raising that generation who have availed themselves to stand in Gap day and night and pray and intercede for the Land.-------
George Steinbach: We thank God for raising up a generation of spiritual warriors. My heart is touched. My heart is blessed. And we keep pushing on until the Lord returns or he calls us home.
I'll include several other pictures, mainly from his ministry with Youth for Christ over the years in Botswana.
George, you courageously fought the good fight, kept the faith and truly did keep pushing on until the Lord called you home--a true spiritual warrior. I am so blessed and privileged to have known you and laboured with you in this harvest field. Rest from your labours now. We will carry on the work in the Lord's strength. I already miss you, but one day we will reunite and rejoice together in the harvest.
Robala ka kagiso, mogaka! ❤️
