The Dillard family will be going on a new ministry outside of the United States this July, so the family has been busy visiting relatives and bidding their farewells.
Derick and his firstborn son Israel David recently visited his Pawpaw, and Derick shared this memorable moment on his Instagram account (@derickdillard). In the photo, Derick is seen standing beside his grandfather, who is cradling Israel David on his arms.
He captioned the photo: "'3 generations of Dillards' pic with #israeldaviddillard and Pawpaw! At this rate Israel's going to be playing college basketball like his great-grandpa."
Derick actually lost his father Rick Dillard in 2008, when he was still in college. Both men went to the Oklahoma State University (OSU), and Derick's dad served as his generation's school mascot Pistol Pete. Eager to follow his dad's footsteps, Derick secretly tried out for the position, but Rick passed away before he even got it.
"That was the first thing that Derick said when I told him that his dad died: 'I never got to tell him that I was going to try out for Pete,'" Derick's mom, Cathy Dillard Byrum, told The O'Colly in 2009.
His father's death only made Derick even more determined to become Pistol Pete. His mother observed: "I think it was a way for him to give something back. When you lose someone, you think of the stuff you wish you'd said, wish you'd done, and this was a way for him to wrap that all up and give it back."
As the Dillard family prepares to move, they are asking for prayers from family, friends and supporters knowing that the new adjustments they will be making will not be easy.
"God never promised that following Him wouldn't have its challenges. We are confident in knowing that there is no better place to be than in the center of God's will for our lives," Derick wrote in their blog. "We look forward to this adventure and the joy of serving Him in this new way."
