Chat with Jill Duggar: New Book 6

Here is the final segment of Ellie's interview with Jill Duggar. Thanks for joining us this week!

Ellie: Aside from working on the book, what have you and your sisters been up to?

Jill: "We just got back from the national ATI Conference, and Jinger left from the conference to go home. She had her first wedding photo shoot. She was really scared at first. She was like, 'I don't know how I'm going to do!' She's doing it with a friend of hers, so she and her friend, Megan, they went over, and she texted us pictures. She was like, 'I'm on my way, pray for me!' She was nervous about the lighting because the couple is getting married in a medieval chapel. She's been interested in photography and improving on her skills. She's taken photos for friends and stuff before, but this is her first paid job. So she is having a lot of fun."

"I have been busy studying. I'm an apprentice midwife right now, and I'll be starting my classes once I get back home again, and then delivering babies and all that. Jana has been going with me to births as a labor coach. Jessa has been working really hard on the book the last few weeks, getting a lot of the content organized. She's the organizer of the family, so she does a pretty good job. We've been busy, and traveling."

Jana and Jill have also been using their talents as they work with a girls' ministry.

UPDATE: Jinger's photo shoot went swimmingly.

Our readers are constantly asking if there are any Duggar courtships in the works. According to Jill, "Nobody is in a relationship right now or has anybody right now that they are courting our dating."

The girls hope to have their book on the shelves by the end of this year. In the meantime, we know that they would appreciate prayer as they gather their content into book format.

For more information on the upcoming book, check out parts one-five of Ellie's conversation with Jill:

Part 1               Part 2               Part 3               Part 4               Part 5

Recap: Duggar Campout & Schoolhouse Duggars

On tonight's episodes of "19 Kids and Counting.."
Duggar Campout:

• Joy heads over to help Anna with her little ones. "Joy really has a servant's heart," commends Josh. "She just jumps in and helps."
• Mackynzie is adjusting quickly to having another child in the family. One of her favorite things to do is "nurse" her baby dolls while Mommy nurses Michael. "I thought Mackynzie was a really easy baby," says Anna. "But Michel seems even easier!"
• Back at Jim Bob and Michelle's, the family prepares for a backyard cookout and campout. Mom, the little ones, and the older children opt to sleep in the air-conditioned house, but Dad and the "middle kids" rough it outside.

Schoolhouse Duggars:

• Jim Bob and Michelle emphasize that they are NOT against public schools. (In fact, both attended--and enjoyed--public school as kids.) "We personally have just made the choice to homeschool," explains the mom of 19. The goal is to protect their kids from unnecessary peer pressures, spend quality time as a family, and develop a ministry mindset.
• At the annual ATI Homeschool Conference, the entire family learns new skills and enjoys plenty of fun and fellowship.
• Alert Cadet Academy is the program, similar to boy scouts, that the "middle boys" attend at ATI. When asked if she is confident in the younger boys' ability to take care of her if they were stranded in the wilderness, Michelle responds, laughingly: "No. Not confident. I don't think they're quite that well-trained!"
• Back home, the Duggars head to Skyline Heights Elementary School in Harrison, Arkansas, to participate in International Day. 
• "I really have a heart for the Spanish people," says 20-year-old Jill. "I really am striving and praying to be able to learn Spanish fluently." And she is spreading that love for the language to the other kids by posting Spanish flashcards throughout the house and taking them to a Spanish tutor. 
• CollegePlus! coach Brittany Crist works with the older kids, who are in the process of earning their accredited bachelor's degrees.
• The Duggar household is so busy, how do they find time (and quiet) to study? Jinger gives us an insiders' tip: "Setting aside a certain time during the day that you're going to go and study for several hours, that's the best way to get it accomplished."

Duggars' Close Call with Tornadoes

While tornadoes raged in the South early last week, the Duggars were on their way to an ATI homeschool conference in Big Sandy, Texas. At one point during the conference, all two thousand families were told to seek shelter in an inner room, where they joined together in a chorus of "Amazing Grace." While they sang, a tornado touched down only five miles from the camp. Now that's a close call! Thankfully, everyone was safe, and the Duggars, the Bates, and all the other homeschool families were able to enjoy the rest of the conference.

Do you live in an area where tornadoes are common?