 TLC Network's "19 Kids and Counting" chronicles the life of the
Dugger family, which includes parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their
10 boys and nine girls, ranging in age from 2 to 22. The siblings
include two sets of fraternal twins. All of the children's names
begin with "J."Mom home-schools the flock with the help of the
older siblings. Each child learns to play both the violin and the
piano. They are often asked to perform at various churches.
Serving others is important to the family, so the elder children
go on annual mission trips to South America and helped in Joplin,
Mo., following the devastating tornado of 2011.
Dad served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to
2002. He is now a real estate agent and investor. He supports the
family through income from commercial rental properties.
The family practices a strong Christian ethic and believes that
all children are a gift from God. They use no form of birth control.
Michelle suffered her second miscarriage in December 2011, a loss
the family shared on national television.
Josh, the eldest son, is married, and he and Anna have two
children. Television fans followed the courtship, Josh's proposal
and their marriage. The elder Duggers do not believe in dating, and
the children must be chaperoned when they are courting.
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The eighth season of the show will begin March 12 on TLC.
During the previous 160 episodes, cameras followed the family as
they went skydiving, took a trip to Dollywood, visited New York City
and made a pilgrimage to Israel, Scotland, London and Ireland.
The Duggers make their home in Tonitown, Ark.
The open house at Park Meadows Baptist will be at 9:30 a.m. on
March 17. The church is at 800 Memorial Park Road, Lincoln.
For more information about the Duggers' visit to Lincoln, contact
the church at 217-732-6900 or visit
www.parkmeadowsbaptist.org.
[Text from news release received from
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County]
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