Joel Ballew ‘00 - Missionary and Entrepreneur, South American Mission

Location: Barranquilla, Colombia

College: Toccoa Falls College

Joel Ballew, a GAC “lifer”, traded in Georgia basketball courts for beautiful South America. At GAC, his life was impacted by the basketball team and serving on the City of Children mission trip in Ensenada, Mexico. Now, Joel, his wife, and three daughters live in Barranquilla, Colombia, where he has been a missionary for four years.

His primary work focuses on a for-profit business that utilizes the space to see Gospel outcomes in the city. Their large space brings events, coworking, private offices, and conference rooms to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and church planters and pastors planning to launch churches in the city. They offer small group courses open to the community to discuss topics like personal finance, parenting, and how to have a thriving marriage. Their goal is to have 20 spaces in more than eight countries in urban settings across South America.