CAMPINAS, BRAZIL
The mayor of Campinas, Brazil, Dr. Helio de Oliveira Santos, visited the Campinas Brazil Temple to dedicate a street as "Rua James Esdras Faust," paying tribute to President James E. Faust who served in the First Presidency from 1995-2007.
Elder Flavio Cooper, Area Seventy, along with the Campinas temple presidency, greeted the mayor and held a brief ceremony to officially name the street, which is located on the north side of the temple. The renaming was proposed by Luiz Yabiku, city council member of Campinas and also a member of the Church.
Two "HomeFront" television spots created for a Brazilian audience and currently being carried by the Globo TV Network, were shown to open the ceremonies. Elder Cooper briefly spoke of the life of President Faust, including his love and connections to Brazil. President Faust was among the first missionaries to serve in the country from 1939-1942 and later returned to live there again from 1975-1977 while, as a General Authority, he oversaw the Church's progress in South America. He made many trips to Brazil since then, including the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Campinas and Porto Alegre temples.
Elder Cooper also mentioned how President Faust received the honorary title of "Citizen of Sao Paulo" in the city council chambers in 1998 — an honor shared only by Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama.
In his remarks, the mayor emphasized the importance of the family in finding solutions for society's problems, stating, "It doesn't help to make huge investments in civic programs if we don't strengthen the family."
As a pediatrician, "Doctor Helio" (as he is known) mentioned the "Potato Chip Trail" "HomeFront" spot, in which a father is shown spending time with his son after a long day at work. "This is what really matters, the time we spend with our family," the mayor added.
Elder Cooper presented the mayor with a marble statue symbolizing strong family ties, a Tabernacle Choir CD, and a booklet about the purpose of temples.