The Sagastume Family

By Corliss Clayton

I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind (D&C 11:13).

The Sagastume family of Antigua Ward, Chimaltenango Guatemala Stake, loves the gospel and tries to be like Jesus Christ by praying to Heavenly Father and by listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Works and Faith

Yvette gets up at 4:00 A.M. every day to study for school, which starts at 7:00 A.M.. Once, getting good grades seemed impossible to her. “When I used to study, I was never able to remember and understand the things I was studying,” she said. “When I had tests, I’d get very nervous and not remember anything. My father told me that before I study and before taking tests, I should pray. When I follow his advice, I always do better. Before I started praying about my studies, I was never one of the better students in my class, but now I’m in third or fourth place in the whole school.”

One class was really difficult for Yvette—computers. The computer terminals and commands were all in English, and that made it hard for her. She didn’t believe that she could pass the class, even if she did study, so she didn’t study. She thought that if she just prayed and prayed and prayed, Heavenly Father would help her, anyway. But she found out that that wasn’t so. She took her test and didn’t pass. She learned that she has to study in order for Heavenly Father to help her succeed. After that, she studied and prayed and did much better in computer class. “I have to do my part,” she said.

Calm under Pressure

Priscila is a very good gymnast. She practices three to four hours after school each afternoon Monday to Saturday and three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon during school vacations. She hopes one day to represent Guatemala in the Olympics. She gets very nervous during competitions and has to really push herself to compete against the other girls who are very good. “Sometimes I feel very nervous and think I can’t do it and that I am going to fall while doing flips or somersaults.” When she feels that way before a competition, she asks her father to give her a blessing. After each blessing, she feels calm and knows that she can do her best. “I have felt the blessing as I perform on the various apparatuses.” She is currently in first place in her category in Antigua.

How would she feel if she had a blessing, but didn’t win a competition? “I would still know that Heavenly Father loves me and is helping me to do my best.” She is grateful that all the competitions are on Fridays or Saturdays. “If they were on Sundays, I wouldn’t compete.”

Peace during Trials

Francisco is sometimes tormented at school because he is a member of the Church. One day two boys he was playing with started to hit him. One of them hit him very hard in the head. “I didn’t fight with them,” he said, “because I don’t like to fight and I know that it is bad. Also something told me not to fight with them. It was the Holy Ghost.”

The director of the school called in the parents of all three boys to help solve the problem. After the meeting, the director told Francisco’s parents how impressed she was with him for not fighting, for telling the truth, and for his good example for the other children. “My friends were punished for what they had done—they couldn’t go out at recess for one or two weeks.” Francisco is grateful that the Holy Ghost prompted him to do what was right.

Courage to Testify

At a fast and testimony meeting, Emanuel felt impressed to bear his testimony. He thought, No, I can’t get up and do that. I’d be too frightened! Then he felt as if someone were speaking to him, telling him that he needed to bear his testimony. He walked to the front of the chapel. As he did so, he felt calm. When his turn came, he remembered everything he wanted to say and wasn’t at all nervous. It was the first time that he had borne his testimony, and it made him very happy.

Photos by Julie Wardell

Yvette Sagastume, 10

El Arco, Antigua, Guatemala

Priscila Sagastume, 9

Francisco Sagastume, 8

Emanuel Sagastume, 5