Moyo Adetifa
He goes by many names: “Super”, “Mas”, “Super Mas”, “The kid turned Mas”, or simply “Moyo”. Having worked with Moyo at close quarters for more than five years, I’ve come to see him grow especially in his walk with God.
One unmissable trait about Moyo: He’s a good business mind. He owns and runs a mobile phone service business outfit (Mas Productionz, and Unlock Kings) in St. Paul, and he’s also a devoted worker a the Strong Tower Parish. I had a interesting conversation with him recently. Happy reading!
In the Beginning
Childhood had lot of things that were not so normal. Confusion, pain, joy and frustration were present. And I did know this was unusual, which gave my young mind too much trouble. Fortunately, I had a Guiding Voice that spoke to me even if it wasn’t always so clear- I’ve always felt God’s presence from very early in life. I quickly gravitated to the “no condition is permanent” saying. That experience has put me in a situation that has allowed me to be who I am today.
Each person comes from different situations and experiences. I happen to come from a broken home. But I must say I’m blessed with a wonderfully unique family. There were times my parents fought/argued and I saw things an average child shouldn’t see. There was also the period I became a teenager and I had no one to guide me. It was pretty challenging, but the Guiding Voice was always present. Eventually, I was able to understand each situation for what it was; and I, for some reason, gravitated to church. There I always found peace, fun, knowledge and comfort.
Making a Headway
I’ll say I’ve always felt I’d be successful because of the Guiding Voice I’ve talked about earlier. I was always being told stuff (God’s voice) but I wasn’t so sure what it meant. When I spoke to some elderly relatives about this, they told me it was nothing; that everybody had dreams. It wasn’t until things started happening- stuff I’d been told in the past- that I knew I had something special. I believe I was between 19 and 20 years when it really clicked in my mind that the things going on in my mind weren’t just thoughts.
Conflicting Personalities
I think there are two “Moyos,” hence my online moniker “The Kid turned Mas”. It’s just a reflection of growth. Personality wise there is the “me” people expect me to be, and the real me. People close to me understand my spiritual side. I joke a lot when I’m in social circles at the same time I have a very private life. I may not evangelize via preaching but I try to do so through the life I live.
Nuggets of Wisdom
Some of the materials I post on Facebook come from thoughts that I have. A lot of this influence is from sermons; inspirational things that I come across; things that interest me that make me think; and yes, rap music. Many see rap for all the negativity, but there’s also the philosophical side. I think it’s no different than the way some falsely perceive church: money-sucking, too holy people and flawed ministers.
Transition to Business
What I did is not necessarily the best option for everyone. Being on a career path may be the best for some. I come from a society where education is everything. The natural progression is to go from high school to college. I wasted no time in following the same path. I wasn’t a struggling student neither was I the most dedicated. I was able to go through college memorizing materials the day before the exam and spewing it out exam day. It wasn’t until my second to last accounting class- three classes to go- that I figured this wasn’t my thing. It was such a tough decision especially with all the societal expectation. But I quit and went into putting into work ideas God has given me. Everything in life comes at a price. Thankfully I was able to pay the price, follow God’s lead and trust my heart.
Business Lesson
During the historic 2008 presidential elections, my business partners and I had a special concept and made t-shirts that had Barack Obama side-by-side Dr Martin Luther King. The idea was to show candidate Obama’s run as some fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream. And because of mass appeal and reach, we decided to market and sell our merchandize through the internet. Pretty simple? Not quite! One day, some friends call to say one of the hosts of “106th and Park” on BET had our t-shirt on. I was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to catch it myself. But our joy was short-lived. We didn’t make the t-shirt the host wore! Someone had stolen our idea and was making money off of it. And we couldn’t do anything about it because we hadn’t done all the necessary due diligence to protect our concept.
That taught me that unless one duly protects one’s ideas and concepts, those who can push and market one’s ideas the farthest may be the ones who will reap the most where they hadn’t sown. I also came to understand that we have good ideas if others out there were willing to copy us.
Sweet Mother
My mother is an amazing woman and a special mother with whom I’ve had a growing relationship over time. I’ve come to understand her better the older I got; and she, me. Back then, she thought I was a very capable and intelligent child but she also felt my curiosity could get me in trouble so she was pretty hard on me (“pretty hard” is putting it very nicely 
. But by the time I got in my late teens, she stopped being a parent and started becoming a friend. She’s become one of my best friends; and without any doubt it’s a blessing to have her as my mother.
Church
Strong Tower Parish has been a home to me. There are places you go and you feel you should be a part of. This church has been that and more to me. I started coming because of my mom. But once I settled in, I have come to love it. I’ve learned and have been blessed so much: words from pastor have been so divinely scheduled. They speak to things I’m going through as if on cue. That seems weird but hey I’m not complaining. Some say church is a second home, but Strong Tower Parish is my first home.
Tenth Anniversary
A very big congratulation to the church. I wish Pastor and Pastor Mrs. a wonderful tenth year celebration; and all members a wonderful and glorious tenth year too. It’s great to belong here.
Interview conducted by Femi Adisa.
