It’s been four months since Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard returned to Central America to complete the missionary work that they began in early 2015.
Last year, the couple was criticized for coming home ahead of schedule after accepting donations from fans and giving the impression that El Salvador would serve as their new home.
Now, in a strange (but somewhat justified) reversal of public opinion, Jill and Derick are being criticized for staying in El Salvador despite the fact that doing so puts them at risk of contracting the dreaded Zika virus.
When news first broke that the virus was endangering the health of pregnant women and their babies throughout the region, there were rumors that Jill and Derick planned to return to Arkansas, thus cutting their missionary trip short for a second time.
Now, it looks as though they have every intention of staying put, even though it’s been widely reported that Jill is pregnant with her second child.
Jill and Derick have not confirmed the rumors, but they have yet to deny them.
Their silence on the matter – coupled with the fact that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar recently made an unannounced visit to Jill and Derick in El Salvador – has led many to believe that the couple is in fact expecting a little brother or sister for baby Israel.
Naturally, fans have taken to social media to encourage Jill and Derick to return to the States, as Zika is known to cause birth defects in the children of infected mothers.
However, experts say that if Jill and Derick take the necessary precautions (such as sleeping with a mosquito net over their bed), they should be safe.
Even so, it’s not hard to see why fans of the couple might be concerned.
