| Sis Madel Espiritu: A heart that sings for the Lord |
| Written by Sis Rose Minas | |
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Once on our way home aboard Sis. Dina’s car, a song by Darlene Zshech of Hillsong was being played when Marysan (Sis. Dina’s niece) exclaimed “Ay, Sis. Madel!” Truly, Sis. Madel Espiritu’s voice can compare with that of the foreign singer. Her voice is so soothing that she never fails to measure up to the expectations of praise and worship leaders who always choose her for a solo number. Locally, for me, the quality of her voice resembles that of Nora Aunor. Sis. Madel’s physical appearance defies the golden voice within. Not that she is not beautiful because she is. But her boyish appearance hides her feminine quality and that voice so beautiful as Darlene’s.
Her parents 
Sis. Madel’s mother, Magdalena, came from Catanduanes while her father, Benedicto, was a bonafide Malabon dweller. Her mother was a dressmaker while her father was a dentist. Both met at Malabon where they were neighbors, her mother just across the clinic of her father. Love blossomed and produced five children – three boys and 2 girls. In 1985, her father died of stroke. With five children to take care of, her mother decided to work abroad as a dressmaker to a family in Saudi Arabia. It lasted for almost ten years until a bad news in 1996 came that their mother died of overfatigue. Grief came to the family. It was the saddest part of her life.
Marimodelyn or Sis. Madel as she is fondly called was born on October 12. She was second to the youngest. She has passion for the arts since she was young. She likes to draw, sing and dance. But she was so shy, she would prefer to be the spectator rather than the actor. She rarely participated in school activities. Sis. Madel has ever since been guided by God. She was a member of an organization called “Religion” during her elementary days. The group would have Bible-sharing and block rosary. They were headed by a cathechist. During her free time, Sis. Madel would play the guitar. She would always be in the company of friends jamming their hearts out. Sis. Madel graduated Industrial Technology. Her first job was short-lived. She wanted to take up AutoCad operation but due to financial difficulties, it was set aside.
Since then, she has been singing for the Lord. She became a member of the music ministry where she further honed her singing talent. She was tapped not only to sing for FDMC-Malabon but also for the main chapter. She religiously attended the practice and voicing lessons and memorized the lyrics of every worship and praise songs, as well as joyful songs. She began to gain confidence on herself and then shed the timidity that once enveloped her. She realized she was so blessed with a voice that she wanted to give praise to God and bring back the glory to Him through this gift. She now heads the Music Ministry of FDMC-Malabon.
With the responsibility of leading a ministry, she has put upon herself the task to learn new songs and new instruments. With her own initiative, she began to feel the grasp of the keyboard. Without formal schooling, she learned to play the keyboard with only a piano chart guiding her. Her love for music led her fingers to tap the right keys. Her sense of hearing taught her hands to where they should land. She now sings and plays the keyboard at FDMC-Malabon.
Sis. Madel has found joy in her service for the Lord. But little did she know that it was consuming more of her time. Her family began to notice that she was spending more time for community activities than looking for a job. Her older brother began to reprimand her and became strict with her. One time, she was sent to Bicol allegedly to help her aunt who will support her for further studies. For almost two months, she was missed by the community. She came back to Manila in time for a CLSS. She came back to the service that she, too, missed so much.
Her passion for singing has brought her to different communities and places. Most often, she would be part of the music group that would sing for CLSS and weddings. Recently, she sang at Ogie Alcasid’s charity concert in Malabon. Bro. Rene Tumang, the community’s adviser-director, would always invite her to join him in some of his out-of-town engagements to sing. One time, Bro. Rene mentioned in his talk Sis. Madel’s faithfulness to the ministry despite the lack of financial support to pursue AutoCad studies. A generous sponsor heard it. Lo and behold! She was given a scholarship enabling her to finish her dream.
Handling the music ministry has never been easy for Sis. Madel. A silent type by nature, she feels uneasy commanding her co-members to implement things. She would rather expect them to give the same dedication she accords her ministry without her telling them what to do. Nevertheless, she is doing the best she can for the glory of God. She trusts in His goodness and continued guidance knowing He will never leave her nor forsake her. For new members, she has this to say, “Be strong and stay faithful to the ministry.” In her heart, she has only this to say – “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. I will delight and rejoice in you; I will sing hymns to your name, Most High. “ (Psalm 9:2-3)
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September 2002 was the date Sis. Madel registered for the Catholic Life in the Spirit Seminar Batch 1 of the Friends of the Divine Mercy Community. It was the beginning of her service to the Lord.
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