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"Counting On" Star, Jill (Duggar) Dillard Returns to the U.S., Attends Church after Revealing Tragic Murder of Friend

Leah Marieann Klett : May 22, 2017
Gospel Herald

"Typically funerals are held in a family member's home and last several hours into the night. Our friend's funeral was held in their area and Derick and some men from church were able to share some words of encouragement with the family and guests. We have cried and continue to grieve the loss of our dear friend." -Jill (Duggar) Dillard

[Gospel Herald] "Counting On" star Jill Duggar Dillard and her husband, Derick, have returned to the United States and attended church on Sunday just days after revealing a friend was tragically kidnapped and murdered in Central America. (Photo: Jill and Derick Dillard /Instagram/via Gospel Herald)

"So grateful to be back in the States and get to go to our church this morning @crosschurch #Israeliswithgrandma #lovetheUSA," the pregnant 26-year-old captioned a selfie with her 28-year-old husband.

The former "19 Kids and Counting" star revealed she was headed back to Central America with Derick and their 2-year-old son Israel back in February. The family's return is ahead of Jill's July due date, when she will welcome the couple's second child—another boy.

In a blog post published last month, Jill shared a brief pregnancy update: "The pregnancy is going well thus far, as we make it into the home stretch now," she wrote. "'Little Samuelito' (as the locals call him) sometimes wakes mommy up at night now with his active kicking."

In another blog post shared on Monday, Jill revealed a friend was tragically kidnapped and murdered in Central America: "We received a phone call on Monday from a friend here in Central America informing us that one of our other good friends (a fellow Christian) had been murdered the day before and that his family had found his body down by the river earlier that morning!"

"As you'll recall from our last email, we talked about these friends of ours who we'd had the opportunity to invite into the hospitality house for a meal recently as they have been going through a really tough time after the death of his grandmother and murder of his 20-year-old cousin and then the stroke his daughter had when she received the news...

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