The Duggar family hosted another going-away party for Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard, as the couple leaves for Central America for the third time in three months. Unlike the tearful goodbye video the Duggar family posted on YouTube in July when the Dillards first departed on what was described as a permanent move overseas to be missionaries, this going-away was a fundraiser.
The two are once again collecting funds for “missionary work,” although Derick Dillard wrote on the Dillard’s blog that the couple would be returning to Central America to study Spanish, like they did on their last two-week trip to Guatemala .
“Our current plan is to continue in language school once we return to Central America.”
In a strange statement posted on the official Duggar family Facebook page , a post from Michelle Duggar almost seems like the Duggars are the missionaries instead of the Dillards.
“Thank you to all our prayer and financial support partners who were able to join us last night for an evening of ministry discussion and fellowship! Thank you also to our financial partners who were not able to attend last night! We can’t do it without you!”
There is no explanation for why Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard need financial support to take Spanish lessons or why they would have to leave America to study Spanish at all.
Derick Dillard’s brother, Dan, posted on Instagram that he provided the audio/video at the event for the Duggar family and that it was, indeed, a going-away party for Derick and Jill.
An unidentified videographer can also be seen in the photos, who might have been filming for the upcoming TLC specialplanned around the Dillard’s missionary work in Central America.
Jill and Derick have come under fire by financial supporters to their ministry over their use of donated funds. Many have demanded a refund.
Since the Duggar family gave the two a tearful goodbye in July, the two have dodged questions about their use of donated funds, about what they were doing in Central America and even what country they were in. The Inquisitr has reported that the Dillards went as volunteers with the Clearwater, Florida, S.O.S. Ministries to El Salvador on July 5. They were with a group of about three dozen volunteers and toured El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala before returning to the U.S. on August 2.
While in the U.S., the two were photographed in New York City and then in Knoxville, Tennessee, at a friend’s wedding. Then they flew to Guatemala on August 16 to study Spanish for two weeks, accompanied on the flight by Jill’s sister Joy-Anna and her friend Carlin Bates. Then they were back in Arkansas again to attend the wedding of Jill’s cousin Amy on September 6.
The Dillards have yet to set up a missionary base in Central America and have never disclosed on their ministry’s blog how they are using donated funds. So far, donors are left with the impression that about $5,000 was used for their volunteer work with S.O.S. Ministries (including air fare and room-and-board) and thousands more have been spent on trips to the States and Spanish classes. While in Guatemala, Derick Dillard posted that Jill also spent a great deal of time taking online courses to obtain a midwife certificate .
Derick posted on Instagram that he received a Level I Spanish certificate for his two-week course, but no mention was ever made about Jill receiving a certificate for studying Spanish during their stay in Guatemala.
There is no mention on the Dillard Family Ministry website or on the Duggar Family Blog about the substance of the fundraising speeches at this last going-away party which, once again, leaves more questions than answers for supporters and detractors. The missionary project suffers from a lack of credibility which has plagued the family since revelations in May about Josh Duggar’s sexual molestations of his sisters.
Please scroll down to leave your comments and opinions about this recent solicitation of funds by Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard for their missionary work.
[Intro photo: TLC]