this is more of a junket
Given the seriousness of the task, it is far and away worth the time and money to visit in person. Zoom is only good for so much -- and I have spent many, many hours on zoom these past months.
I agree on both accounts. Last week alone I spent no less than four hours in Zoom meetings for the district. Quite burnt out on them.
But that is only part of the story ... how much time would have been spent in transit to and from the meeting(s)? A quick map check indicates that if it was a single meeting at your district office, you gained around an hour and a half not spent in transit ... if the four hours involved multiple meetings, transit time could have been greater.
In the case mentioned
here, there is a 4.5 to 5 hour flight
each way (assuming no plane change) ... transit to and from the respective airports, the hassle of clearing customs in each direction, not to mention per diem expenses on top of these itemized costs ... cursory estimated cost of $1,000 - $1,500 would be on the conservative side. Unless one is blaming the lack of success of the first round on the virtual environment, it seems that it seems a much better stewardship if time, talent and treasure to build on and improve the virtual process previously used.
While virtual is not a desirable substitute for worship services, may shut ins are thankful the pandemic has made them more available. I’ve ‘attended’ 3 voters meetings virtually, a myriad of Bible Classes/Studies including ‘sitting at the feet’ of two different pastors this fall as they teach their new member classes. No it’s not the same as the in person classes ... but without the virtual option probably half of these opportunities would have been missed.
