Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, are leaving the country, and they’re asking fans to help them fund their trip. So could this be a hint that the 19 Kids and Counting cameras won’t be following them? After all, wouldn’t TLC fund the trip if the network was planning on televising the next chapter of Jill and Derick’s life?
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard made the announcement that they’re leaving America, and they made it known that their trip won’t be a short one — they’re planning on a long-term stay in another country.
“God has put a desire in our hearts to serve Him internationally for longer than the typical short-term mission trip, but we didn’t know yet how God would fulfill that desire in us,” Jill and Derick wrote on their family website.
According to People , Jill Duggar gave birth to her baby boy, Israel David Dillard , on April 6. Derick seemed to anticipate the criticism that he and his wife would face for deciding to make such a huge move so soon after Jill’s birth. He tried to explain why he has concluded that now is the best time to move far away from Jill’s family in Arkansas, and his explanation has nothing to do with the recent revelation that Jill Duggar was sexually molested by her older brother, Josh Duggar.
“As I’m sure many of you fathers can understand, I (Derick) had a huge dilemma as the provider and protector of my little family. There were definitely more ‘unknowns’ with the international option. God was definitely testing my faith in Him by bringing about this choice in our lives. A friend of ours wisely shared that if God was leading us to serve Him abroad, we should pursue it as early as possible, to avoid a more difficult move later, when our roots are deep and we’re more comfortable in life.”
On their website, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are asking their fans for donations to help them make their huge move.
“If you feel led to support our mission effort we would be so thankful to have you as a partner. You can give here on our website. Your prayers and your support mean so much to both of us as we begin this great new chapter in life!”
Some 19 Kids and Counting fans may see this donation request as evidence that 19 Kids and Counting is in serious trouble. Because of the recent revelation that Josh Duggar molested four of his sisters and one other girl, TLC network execs have taken their sweet time deciding whether the Duggars’ reality show will be canceled.
However, it’s possible that TLC simply doesn’t want to cough up the extra cash that it would take for the couple to set up residence in another country. There’s also evidence that the future of 19 Kids and Counting and the Josh Duggar molestation scandal had nothing to do with Jill and Derick’s decision to move.
In their post, Jill and Derick reveal that they told their families about their plans earlier this year. The Daily Mail reports that their announcement was filmed for the upcoming season of 19 Kids and Counting , and last season’s finale featured a sneak peek of the couple referencing their “ special news .” The clip aired on May 19, which is before In Touch Weekly broke the bombshell Josh Duggar story . According to the Mail , Jill and Derick are moving to Nepal, a country where Derick has done mission work before.
It seems very likely that Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard were already prepared to leave 19 Kids and Counting long before Josh Duggar’s dark past resurfaced to threatened the future of the show. Jill might not mind leaving Josh and the TLC cameras behind, but it could prove difficult for her to part with the rest of her massive family. She and Derick currently live close to Jim Bob and Michelle, so Jill is used to seeing her parents and siblings quite often. After she and Derick leave America this July, she’ll likely see very little of them.
Are you surprised by Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s decision?
[Image credit: Derick Dillard/ Instagram ]