Ecan6, I agree. I spent nearly five years building branches overseas, one in Africa. Several times we spent our day off working on a concrete block with a tin roof Kingdom Hall for the local brothers. Eventually, some Bethelite brothers were recruited to live in small travel trailers and move around building KH's of concrete block and metal roofs, no bathrooms, and many times a dirt floor.
I couldn't see this from a monetary standpoint either. Even when building the branch, (for a most arrogant Branch Committee that were abusive to the volunteers, I eventually left) I couldn't see bringing all these people from 1st world countries. The airfare alone paid by the volunteers could have paid for hiring a worldwide contractor.
But I also went around with the other elders about hiring a lawn maintenance company to mow the lawn. I feel that a local congregation should be able to contract the lawn maintenance out to the lawn mower people that like that work. Many publishers are elderly, have heart problems, easily get heat exhaustion, and have alergy problems just to name a few safety reasons for paying a lawn maintenance crew.
But the WTBTS is insistent on using volunteer labor, even though the "opportunity costs" for the volunteers are greater than the end value of their product. Go figure.
