Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard recently shared a mission trip update with their fans, and they’re still remaining tight-lipped about allegations that they’re misusing donor money. However, they’re about to make one big change that might make some critics feel a bit better about their trip.
In a message posted on the Duggar Family Official Facebook page, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard let their fans know that they’ve headed back to the mission field in Central America. However, Jill and Derick admit that they still need to brush up on their Spanish so that a language barrier doesn’t get in the way of their soul saving.
“We had a great visit recently to the States and as always it was a little hard to say goodbye! We are headed back to Central America,” the couple revealed. “In the weeks ahead language school will become much more intense as we work to become fluent in Spanish. We are looking forward to seeing the faces of the sweet friends we’ve made in Central America who are helping us in our mission work. It will be next summer before we plan to make a short visit back to the States again.”
As the Inquisitr previously reported, Jill Duggar, her husband, and baby Israel spent more than a month back home before returning to Guatemala . According to ET Online , Jill and Derick have been criticized for asking their fans for donations and seemingly using some of this money to jet back and forth between Central America and the States. Because the couple wouldn’t stay put in El Salvador, some critics complained that they weren’t taking their mission work seriously. Jill and Derick were also accused of scamming donors by using their money to fund what some skeptics see as little more than a glorified family vacation.
Jill Duggar and her husband didn’t address any of the concerns about possible money misuse in their mission trip update, but they did try to quiet one complaint by saying that the flying back and forth is going to stop. Jill and Derick claim that they won’t be coming back home until next summer, and the next few months could really test their dedication to being missionaries — if they really do stay away, Jill will have to miss the birth of Jessa Duggar’s first child, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Josh Duggar’s return home from rehab in February.
Jill Duggar and her husband also informed their fans that they’re so passionate about proselytizing that they aren’t going to stop looking for souls to save simply because they’re busy with Spanish classes. One Facebook follower asked the couple if they will still be “serving” while they’re in language school, and they responding by revealing that they’ll squeeze in as much mission work as they can.
“Yes–for sure. The mission work is busy and active. We are ministering, sharing the gospel, meeting new friends, building relationships and participating in many projects even as we are in an intense language immersion program!”
If Jill Duggar decides that misses her family too much, she doesn’t have to fly back to Arkansas to see them — the Duggar clan can always come to her instead. According to the Duggar Family Blog , 17-year-old Joy Duggar already visited Derick and Jill this summer, and it looks like Derick Dillard’s mom will be spending time with the couple in Central America as soon as they arrive. One photo shared on the Dillard Family website shows Cathy Dillard on a plane with Jill and Derick.
Jim Bob has also promised that the Duggar family will fly to Central America to visit Jill, Derick, and Israel.
“When you least expect, we’re going to show up,” Jim Bob told Jill in a family video that was filmed in July.
The Dillards were about to head to the airport to make their first mission trip flight.
Things have changed quite a bit for Jill Duggar since the farewell video was created. The Duggars filmed the goodbye themselves because TLC had stopped documenting the family’s big life events for 19 Kids and Counting , and the reality show was ultimately cancelled in the wake of the Josh Duggar molestation scandal. However, now Jill and her younger sister Jessa are returning to TLC for a series of three TV specials titled Jill & Jessa: Counting On . This time around, the TLC cameras probably filmed Jill Duggar’s tearful goodbye.
Do you think Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard really won’t return home before next summer?
[Image via Dillard Family website]