’19 Kids And Counting’: Jill Duggar And Derick Dillard Mission Trip Photo Faked By Jessa?

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have reportedly left for their mission trip, but the airport photo making the rounds online might not actually depict the 19 Kids and Counting stars’ departure.

According to Us Weekly, Jessa Duggar broke the news that Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have left the country for their extended mission trip. Jessa shared an Instagram photo that shows her sister and brother-in-law boarding a plane with their baby son, Israel, in tow. Jill and Derick have their arms around one another, and it looks like they’re preparing to embark on a long journey. However, the photo below is deceptive.

https://instagram.com/p/4xH2ADDftA/?taken-by=jessaseewald

The Duggar Family News: Life Is Not All Pickles and Hairspray Facebook page points out that Jessa’s plane picture was actually taken a few weeks ago when the Duggars attended an ALIVE conference. Jill is wearing the same orange shirt in photos from the event. Pickles and Hairspray also points out that Derick has had his hair cut since the ALIVE airport photo was taken. In the Fourth of July photo below, it’s much shorter.

It’s possible that Jessa shared the misleading departure picture because Jill Duggar and her husband aren’t ready to let their fans know where they’re going. Had Jessa posted a picture of their actual exit, it could have provided clues about which country they’re flying off to. In a blog post on the Dillard Family website, Derick explained why he and Jill are being so secretive about where they’re headed. From the sounds of it, he’s concerned about his family’s safety.

“For security purposes, at this time, we’re not publicly discussing specific times and places of international service,” Derick wrote.

As the Inquisitr previously reported, many 19 Kids and Counting fans think that Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are heading to Nepal. However, there’s also been speculation that their destination is El Salvador. S.O.S. Ministries, an organization mentioned on the Dillard Family website, has an El Salvador mission trip scheduled for July 6.

Derick might be reluctant to reveal where he and Jill Duggar are headed, but he was happy to share a few details about how he and his wife have been preparing for their big trip.

“In addition to traveling and spending time with family, we’ve been tirelessly working our way through a growing checklist of tasks that include but is not limited to: packing, coordinating logistics, making copies of passports and other important documents, transitioning insurance plans, preparing for language school, buying clothes for Israel, doctors appointments, sending out family prayer cards, and our orientation with our mission organization 2 weeks ago.”

Unfortunately, Derick didn’t reveal whether the 19 Kids and Counting cameras were around to document their mission preparations. As the Inquisitr previously reported, TLC still hasn’t decided whether it will bring the show back for another season. The network pulled reruns of the series from the air after Josh Duggar admitted to sexually molesting Jill, Jessa, two other unnamed sisters, and a non-family babysitter. This confession sparked a wave of intense media scrutiny, as reporters investigated the Duggars’ cult-like religious views and the impact they have had on the Duggar children’s behavior.

Do you think Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard were relieved to leave the country after witnessing the huge amount of criticism generated by the Duggar family molestation scandal?

[Image credit: Jill Duggar / Instagram]