HOW MUCH DOES A RECRUIT COST?

Is it expensive to recruit? Doubtless one can spend large sums of money for whatever purpose, and many club leaders presume the club treasury should contain a treasure to make an Esperantist out of a stranger.

This false premise causes a person to believe the duty or recuiting belongs to the group (the club) which has suficient money, and the indidivual is able to do nothing.

There is another helpful lesson from the Bible, Acts 3:1-7.

"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer.... And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple... to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength."

Isn't it remarkable that Peter, chief disciple and mighty preacher in the spread of Christianity (his sermon on the Day of Pentecost converted 3,000 people) -- had no money!

"Silver and gold have I none..."

You don't have money to even buy Esperanto promotional materials to help in your recruitment?

Neither Peter or other disciples had any -- nevertheless consider the rest of the verse: "But what I have, that I give you."

I mean that instead of concentrating on our lack, on the other hand we emphasize what we have.

And what does the poor person have? What do we have when we have no money? We still have a serious capability to recruit. What?

We have the ability to make friends.

We have the ability to talk.

Those are sufficient for success!