Words from Carl Wilkens

I asked Carl Wilkens (via his personal blog) how he made the decision to remain in Rwanda when all the other Americans left - including his wife and children - here's my question to him and his response:

Hi Carl,
I have questions which I haven't properly put into words yet, but they mainly focus on how you came to the decision to stay in Rwanda when the genocide began. I can't even imagine having to make such a momentus choice - to escape death and move to safety with my family - or send my family to safety and risk never seeing them again to stay with my friends and colleagues in such a perilous situation. Are you able to share some of the 'weighing up' that you must have gone through when discussing this with your wife? And how was it explained to your children at the time and since? I'm guessing your religious faith played a major part in the decision making process? Thank you, by the way, for providing this valuable resource.
Kind regards,
Karen in Australia
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Thanks for your message Karen, It seems like each time I look at the question of our decision to stay, what always come out on top is that it was very much a heart decision as opposed to a head decision. And it was heart decision that was very much made together with Teresa.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday April 7-9 we made many trips back to the bedroom where there were lots of talk, prayer, and tears ...
Key factors in the decision were defiantly;
-A call of God to remain with our friends... also know as a feeling that "it was the right thing to do"
-Teresa's rock solid support
-My Dad and wonderful friend was there to drive the family out
-Teresa and I had passed though other "tough" experiences that helped prepare us....

There is more on this in the radio interview with the US Holocaust Museum "Faith and Trust in Rwanda" http://blogs.ushmm.org/index.php/COC2/360/

With regards to our children, they were very young and we tried to make this more of an adventure for them... In the days before the evacuation we dipped into the stock of things we had brought with us form our last furlough in the states for their birthdays and Christmas... I believe today that they understand we are always going to be healthier and happy when we "do the right thing" irregardless of the personal cost...
Thanks for writing
Carl Wilkens
August 21, 2007 11:45 AM