Saved by the grace of God!
Dr. Maria Beatriz (Bea) Beltran is a writer, educator, and devoted Christian whose journey from skepticism to faith inspires her work. Born in Santiago, Chile, and once a member of Chile’s Communist Party, her life changed profoundly after reading C.S. Lewis and the Bible, leading her to embrace Christianity. Her book, “An Ear by Mistake: From Communism to Christianity”, reflects her spiritual awakening, inviting readers to be aware of listening to the wrong words instead of the Word of God. She skillfully takes the reader on a journey through her remarkable life but also interweaves a second story of a fictional family to illustrate how much of what we perceive as fact is accidentally picked up from family and culture around us and may be far from truth.
Dr. Beltran graduated from Colegio La Maisonnette in 1958 and earned a B.A. in Journalism from Universidad de Chile, an M.A. in Journalism with a minor in History from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Computer Sciences and Education from The University of Texas at Austin, where she was invited to be a member of the honor society Phi Kappa Phi. She continued postdoctoral studies in additional education and technology subjects at other schools.
Dr. Beltran dedicated decades to education and technology. While with United Bible Societies, she trained indigenous and expat translation teams worldwide to harness computers and specialized software for translating the Bible into indigenous languages, bridging technology with cultural preservation, and enabling accurate, efficient Scripture adaptations for underserved communities. She also served on the Board of Trustees for the South Florida Center for Theological Studies and as an Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Advisor for Spanish speaking doctoral candidates at NOVA Southeastern University. She developed distance learning systems at SIL International and volunteered with Kairos Prison Ministry.
In retirement, Dr. ‘Bea’ has embraced a life of adventure and service, traveling to more than 86 countries to explore cultures, histories, and landscapes. This global journey has been intertwined with volunteer leadership, including leader of The Summit Travel Club in Grand Prairie, Texas, Volunteer Travel Counselor at the Grand Prairie Texas Tourist Information Center, and co-leader, with Karelin Seitz, video director, photographer, and producer for the GPS Travel Club.
Through her multifaceted life—marked by empowering indigenous communities with technology for Bible translation, advancing global education, and post-retirement explorations—Dr. Beltran continues to inspire curiosity, connection, and lifelong learning. Dr Beltran lives in the Dallas Texas metroplex, sharing her faith through socializing, writing, and traveling.
Note:
My book “An Ear by Mistake: From Communism to Christianity”, based on this website is available on Amazon. Eleven years of writing my story and trips.
If you read Spanish and want to see an example of my leftist past check my website “Poesía Chilena“.
(You can take a risk and use the automatic translation but beware because you would not understand anything.)
An Ear by Mistake 