Crown of Beauty: Jill, it is so encouraging to see how God has been using you and Derick on the mission field. What advice would you give to other girls with the dream of becoming a missionary, or who are already on the mission field right now?
Jill: The foreign mission field can be a hard place to live, so make sure you know you're following God's call and not your own wants or dreams...when times get tough, that's what will keep you knowing that you're doing what He wants you to do. Also do things to prepare for where you feel God may be leading you. There are many helpful skills missionaries can use on the field depending on where you end up! Don't date anyone who doesn't share the same goals you do!
Crown of Beauty: Little Israel is growing up so quickly! What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
Jill: I love being a mother! It had always been a dream of mine since I was young. I love watching Israel learn new things so quickly. He is a really sweet little guy and it melts my heart when he spontaneously gives me hugs or kisses or says, "I love you mommy!" I love seeing him play with his daddy too! They have so much fun together!
Crown of Beauty: Now that you’re expecting baby Dilly #2, what are you most excited about concerning this new little life?
Jill: I can't wait to see how Israel responds to having a little sibling. He is already showering the baby with hugs and kisses! I'm also looking forward to seeing how the differences/similarities in looks between this baby and Israel.
Crown of Beauty: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you guys on the mission field? Sometimes language and cultural differences can bring up some comedic situations!
Jill: Hmm...good question! We've had several funny instances. Some are language and some cultural or a mixture of both. One time, we had been trying to get a pump for our AC unit for a couple weeks and were having a very difficult time finding someone with one who would come to our region. Our friend was finally able to arrange for someone to come and when he showed up on our doorstep he asked Derick if we needed a "bomba." In the area we live in, we are used to hearing the word "bomba" mean fireworks. Derick told him we didn't need a "bomba" (thinking fireworks) and the guy looked really confused. They ended up getting it figured out pretty quickly and we were so grateful he was able to get things up and running!
Another time, a couple of our kitchen appliances stopped working. We thought at first that it was an electrical problem in the wall since the appliances were in great working order before this and with it being rainy season the storms can trip the breaker pretty easily. Before we really looked into it ourselves, we mentioned to a friend the possibility of there being an electrical problem to which he quickly replied that he had some training as an electrician and would love to help us. We welcomed him in and he started looking things over. The problem wasn't in the breaker box and he wasn't familiar with our type of outlets (a friend had brought them from the states), so he just took off that outlet and put on a different one. When he hooked it up, it sent a current through the oven and into Derick's hand! I came into the room and they were both
and across the sea.
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