Go to school. Get good grades. Network. Land an internship. For almost all college students, that’s what’s expected of them. 

So where does spending an entire summer 3,000 miles away, doing none of the above, fit into this plan? 

“Why do you need to go overseas?” his parents asked. “If you’re going to do mission work, why can’t you just do it locally instead?” 

Typically confident, this 20-year-old couldn’t possibly be more anxious. Clammy hands.  Sweaty face. Worst-case scenarios start flooding his mind. 

What if they say no? What if they think differently of me? What if they don’t even think of me as their son?  

*** 

Luke Fixari, a student at High Point University, isn’t anything special. At first glance, he’s your typical college student. An Ohio native, Fixari enjoys cheering on his Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns each weekend. Often described as quirky, he typically dons T-shirts of  different soda brands — Baja Blast and Dr. Pepper are his two favorites. Tall, with a slight gut and glasses, Fixari looks every bit like an average, video game-loving collegegoer.  

“I’ve known Luke for a few years now as a student,” Dr. Stefan Hall said, a game design  professor at High Point University. “Luke is normal for a college student. He devotes plenty of  time and energy to his courses and seems very engaged in learning. He also uses his free time to  do other regular college student stuff, like hang out with friends and play video games.” 

***

Founded in 2012, Mercy Hill is a gospel-centered church community in North Carolina’s Piedmont. Led by Pastor Andrew Hopper — a burly southern man with colorful tattoo sleeves — Mercy Hill has five campuses spread across High Point and Greensboro. Its mission is simple: know God and make him known. One way the church accomplishes this is through the City Project, an eight-week discipleship initiative designed to strengthen college students’ evangelism skills.  

Students spend the first week at Port City Church, a Mercy Hill church plant in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The next five weeks are spent back in Greensboro, where Mercy Hill’s staff prepares students to minister to the nations. After those five weeks, participants travel to Asia and Africa for 12 days to share God’s word with unreached communities.

*** 

It’s not easy to convince your parents that an internship, especially one leading into junior year, isn’t for you. It’s even harder when your parents are Mark and Shayne Fixari, founders of Fixari Family Dental. As owners of three dental clinics in the greater Columbus area, financial success has always been a priority. 

So when Fixari told his parents he wouldn’t be making any money but would need thousands of dollars to go, their response was expected; however, after several difficult conversations, his parents eventually agreed.  

“My parents talk a lot about adding value to people’s lives, and this was an opportunity to  do that,” Fixari said.  

Of course, obtaining parental approval is one thing, but traveling 3,000 miles away to a broken country is another. 

When people think of India, it’s easy to focus on all of the good it has to offer. On the west side sits Palolem Beach, a tropical paradise located along the Arabian Sea. With water so clear you can see your reflection, it feels more like a movie set than reality. The sun beams overhead as a cool breeze cuts through the heat, striking the perfect balance between warmth and relief.  

Farther inland, the Taj Mahal awaits. India’s most iconic landmark, it glows like the proverbial gold star that it is. White as snow and perfectly constructed, tourists flock to it like birds of a feather.  

But of course, what is India without the Himalayas? 

Tall and dusted with snow, its peaks reach up and touch the sky above. Each hill and valley pays homage to its maker, the one who perfectly crafted its design — a reminder of something far greater. It’s not quite heaven, but it might be the closest thing to it. 

What is often overlooked, however, is the impoverished population that struggles every day. 

Skeleton-like kids roam the streets, anxiously looking for food. Their malnourished, worn-down bodies move slowly, like travelers stuck in quicksand. Dressed in ragged, beat-up clothing, they embody the phrase “put through the ringer.” Something from a Goodwill donation bin would feel like Gucci to them. 

This was the exact environment and group of people Fixari worked with during his trip. 

“It was hard emotionally and physically,” said Fixari. “We went into the slums of India,  and there were a lot of lost souls.”

As difficult as the environment itself was for Fiaxari, the culture adjustment proved just as challenging. 

“I felt really uncomfortable,” said Fixari. “We wanted to respect the culture, so guys had  to wear khakis. It was really hot, which added to the struggle.” 

*** 

Yogi Berra, the New York Yankee legend, once said, “You can observe a lot by just watching.” Ben McDonald, who accompanied Fixari overseas, had the opportunity to do just that. A recent graduate of Liberty University, McDonald saw Fixari transform himself as an individual. 

“Over the course of City Project, I saw Luke begin to process things on a deeper level,”  said McDonald. “He asked a lot of in-depth questions, and the depth of his questions helped him  wrestle and come to terms with things in his own life.” 

As much as he grew individually, Fixari grew just as much spiritually. 

“As a Christian, Luke grew as a servant,” said McDonald. “He took every opportunity to serve. When we led games together, he was the first one there. He was happy to be there and meet kids where they were.” 

When the trip was over, Fixari’s parents were happy he went, but even if they weren’t, that wouldn’t have mattered. As a Christian, the approval of man isn’t of much importance to him. In school and life, Fixari knows he’s living for one man’s approval — a man who laid down his life for him. 

“If I’m following the correct path,” Fixari said. “God will take care of the rest.”