‘Counting On’: Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard Planning to Move Away From the US

One clan of the Counting On family is potentially putting thousands of miles of distance between themselves and the rest of the Duggars. Speaking with The Sun, Derick Dillard revealed that he and his wife, Jill (Duggar) Dillard, as well as their two young sons, are looking to move out of the United States. Much of the Duggar family lives in Arkansas, though some members, including Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo, have set off to different states.

According to Dillard, he and his family are planning to leave Arkansas for a missionary trip overseas. He said that “our original plan from the time we married was to serve permanently on the international mission field.” Dillard said that such trips could potentially take them out of the country, as they “are definitely open to moving wherever God would lead us.” The couple, both together and individually, have already completed a number of mission trips, including a two-year missionary trip to Central America following their marriage in 2014.

Although Dillard did not make a direct correlation, the potential move overseas comes amid a months-long feud with his parents-in-law, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. In the fall of 2019, Dillard criticized Jim Bob for being the only member of the family to have a contract and paycheck with the network. Not long after, he alleged that he and his wife are “not allowed” at the Duggar family home when Jill’s father isn’t present. He also claimed that he and his wife “weren’t even allowed to be the first ones to announce our own life events — our marriage, expecting our baby, our genders of our children, our births.”

As a result of the feud, the couple was notably absent from the Duggar family’s Thanksgiving gathering, and Jill also missed her sister-in-law Abbie Duggar’s baby shower and her younger sister Joy-Anna Duggar’s gender reveal. Her absence was largely due to the fact that she is not allowed on her parents’ property without permission, with Dillard having revealed that “we have not been able to see other family as much as we would like, so that is difficult.”

Previously speaking with The Sun, Dillard said that he hoped to one day heal his relationship with his parents-in-law. Dillard said that he and his wife “hope and pray God would restore relationships where there is brokenness.” He added that “at the same time, we recognize that only God can change people’s hearts and bring healing.”