The foundation for our Belize work began in 1987 when Rik Sowell participated in a mission trip organized by his church in Dallas. On that trip, a friendship was born between Rik and a local Belizean gentleman named Manuel Reyes. Rik returned to Belize with his family in 2001 to visit the Reyes family when Manuel mentioned the desperate need for classroom space for local Christian schools. As an architect, Rik thought he might be able to help. Upon his return to the States, he approached the staff at his church and asked about the possibility of forming a team to travel to Belize the following year. The pastors at First Baptist Church in Conway, Arkansas, agreed and the first construction mission was conducted in 2002.

 

The group adopted the nickname The Iguana Squad on that first trip and designated Rik as The Head Iguana, a title he proudly wears to this day. The first mission led to a second effort and then a third until, as of 2024, the organization has completed almost sixty missions. A federally recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization was formed in the name of The Iguana Squad, and the organization branched out into medical and surgical missions. To date, in villages all over the country, classroom space has been constructed that will accommodate over one thousand students, thousands of Belizeans have been attended by our doctors and dentists, and dozens of much-needed surgeries have been conducted by some of the finest surgeons in their fields.

 

In May of 2022, twenty years after the first mission, Rik and Teri Sowell bought four acres in the village of San Jose Succotz, near the western border, for the purpose of expanding The Iguana Squad mission opportunities. Since then, four buildings have been constructed on the campus, known as LA PAZ BELIZE (Spanish for peace), with plans for several more projects that will increase the organization’s ability to meet many more needs.