Away they go! Jill Duggar, her husband Derick Dillard, and their baby son, Israel David, boarded a plane on Sunday, July 5, taking them to their new home abroad.
Jill’s younger sister Jessa Duggar posted a sweet family photo via Instagram of the threesome, hugging one another as they got ready to take off.
“So excited for @jillmdillard & @derickdillard!” Jessa captioned the pic. “They’ve been praying about and working towards this transition since late last year, and are so excited to finally be heading to the mission field! Please continue to pray for them! And be sure to check out their blog at www.dillardfamily.com ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’ Mark 16:15.”
The couple announced their intention to travel to an undisclosed location for a lengthy mission trip in late June via their personal blog.
“Since we first began our relationship, it has always been our goal that Jesus Christ might be glorified as we serve others through family ministry, by whatever means that might be,” the couple wrote at the time. “We have a deep love and care for all of the world and a real passion for those in the nations, as many have even seen in the early stages of our relationship, and our hope is that all peoples of the world would come to repentance and put their hope in the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
The family of three did not note how long they would be gone, but did write that their time abroad would be “longer than the typical short-term mission trip.”
Their departure comes after a period of turmoil for the 19 Kids and Counting stars after news broke in May of Jill and Jessa’s older brother Josh Duggar’s molestation scandal. The two sisters came forward as victims of their brother’s actions when he was 14.
