Meet Kalbu. This 20-year-old man is one of those people who grabs your heart. Just hearing his unique belly laugh could make anyone smile. Orphaned at a young age, Kalbu has had to fend for himself for a very long time. But, in April of last year, he met his Heavenly Father and was adopted by Him. As the lonely hole in Kalbu’s heart healed, he became a conduit of God’s love.

After we opened a new outreach to the isolated Taw’t Deram tribe two years ago, Niksun stayed behind with them in the village of Kebgen to continue the work. Several young Palawano men went to stay with Niksun a few months at a time to help him. At one point, Kalbu, who had unfortunately quit school, went to be with Niksun. As the months went by and the date of Niksun’s wedding approached, Niksun decided to return home, leaving Kalbu to work Kebgen alone. We felt that Kalbu would certainly need the help of a companion, and we doubted that he had the necessary leadership skills to spearhead the Taw’t Deram work. But no one else was able to join Kalbu, so he continued on by himself.

Recently, we traveled to Kebgen to see how Kalbu was doing, and we found him thriving! He is bonding with the people and seems to have their respect. Even though the initial interest in the school and church services is waning, it hasn’t died out. A family is attending services as well as the students from the school, and they seem very intent on learning. When asked if he missed his home in Kemantian, Kalbu answered, “No. Even though I’m all alone here, I’m happy.”
The trail from Kemantian to Kebgen is leech-infested and treacherous, requiring at least nine hours of difficult hiking and climbing. Yet Kalbu is willing to be God’s mouth and hands in this area.

I praise God for the work He is doing in Kalbu—transforming his character, molding him into a useful missionary and a respected leader and giving him endurance for the hard times and joy for each moment.

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