Kobi and Shani Ferguson know the devastation brought about by October 7. They also know the cost, as their daughter Illit, a songwriter and worship leader, is currently serving with the Israel Defense Forces. They are proud of her and her service to their nation.
Kobi and Shani are Messianic Jews. They have been looked at with suspicion over the years in Israel. They are familiar with raised eyebrows. But in the current climate, they and their ministry have been welcomed in places where they have never experienced open doors before.
One of those is the community of Ra’anana, where they led the construction of a school for kids of displaced families from the north and the south of Israel. That project has now led to other open doors with other towns and villages.
In addition to the school, the Fergusons and the Maoz Israel team have helped farmers harvest their crops, which is extremely hard labor, since the harvesters from Thailand and other locations are no longer in the country. They plan a mission for Christians later this spring to help with harvesting.
They are also helping support families who believe that Jesus is the savior with PTSD counseling in the wake of October 7 and the ongoing war. They have arranged for counseling that has a spiritual component as well as psychological and physical.
The Hebrew word maoz means "strength," "refuge," or "place of safety".
The Fergusons both have connections to Dallas. Shani’s grandparents, James Gordon and Freda Lindsay, founded Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, while Kobi was born in Dallas and then lived in Alabama as a child. Both are now long-term Israeli citizens.
As their website notes, “When you support Maoz Israel you’re strengthening the Body of believers throughout Israel. You can make a lasting difference in the future of Israel.”
