By Melissa Wuske

Help for Young Adults with Autism

Clay Heighten and Debra Caudy’s 19-year-old son, Jon, has autism and requires supportive care. As a result, the couple, both retired medical professionals, are starting a community in Dallas for young people like their son, so that they can live in an environment that meets their needs.

“It’s about offering a choice. We’re trying to create something that would provide an enriched quality of life so that people like Jon eventually require less supervision,” Heighten said. The goal is to build 15 homes on 29 acres, housing 56 people, supported by a staff of 200, to equip young adults who have autism with the skills they need to live independently.

Melissa Wuske is a freelance editor and writer. She and her husband, Shawn, live and minister in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Find her work online (melissaannewuske.com).

Each Nation’s Favorite Verse

YouVersion, a popular Bible app, compiled the most commonly highlighted, bookmarked, and shared verses in 88 different countries. The list is full of familiar verses.

Jeremiah 29:11 was the top verse in 29 countries including Brazil, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, and Nigeria. Romans 8:28 was the favorite in the United States and in eight other countries as well, including Singapore, Germany, Taiwan, and Romania. Ecuador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Chile had Joshua 1:9 as their most highlighted verse.

A somewhat lesser known favorite: Zechariah 14:9—“The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name”—was the top verse in Israel, Afghanistan, France, Finland, Sweden, Guadeloupe, Belgium, Martinique, and Cyprus. Eight other countries also had favorite verses in Zechariah.

Faith in Congress

According to Pew Research, despite long-declining numbers of American citizens who are Christians, the vast majority of the 115th Congress claim to be Christians. All but two of the 293 current Republican congress people are Christians, and 80 percent of Democrats in Congress are Christians. Of the current federal legislative body, 90.7 percent are Christian, only a small decline from 94.9 percent of the 87th Congress in 1961-1962. During that time the balance has shifted somewhat away from Protestants as the share of Catholics in Congress has grown.

Protestants, Catholics, and Jews have a greater representation in Congress than in the general population. Buddhists, Mormons, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians are represented in Congress in proportion to their share of the population. People who are religiously unaffiliated make up 23 percent of the general population but only 0.2 percent of Congress.

Relief for Lonely Elderly People

Emil Girardi was active in his neighborhood until he suffered a stroke a decade ago. Now the 83-year-old has trouble getting around and is often afraid to leave his San Francisco apartment. Such isolation is common for elderly people, and it’s dangerous.

“If someone reports feeling lonely, they are more likely to lose their independence and they are at greater risk of dying solely from being lonely,” said Dr. Carla Perissinotto, a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco.

Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly, a nonprofit, aims to meet elderly people’s need for companionship and relief from isolation. They match older adults with younger people to visit, help, and socialize with them. Girardi was matched with Shipra Narruhn. “Shipra came to see me and came to see me and came to see me. Finally, she said, ‘You have to get out of the house.’ After she took me out of the house, then I didn’t want to stop,” said Girardi.

Melissa Wuske is a freelance editor and writer. She and her husband, Shawn, live and minister in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Find her work online (melissaannewuske.com).