The Blessing House

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Visitors to The Blessing House, located on Lake Wassermann in Victoria, are first greeted by a bed of roses.

This is the lakeside of The Blessing House. 

The spacious kitchen accommodates guests and groups, both large and small, including Gail’s own children and grandchildren and friends near and far.  Gail lives at The Blessing House.

The Blessing House seems to be One Great Room.  In the kitchen you are also part of the music corner, the dining area, the elaborate fireplace, conversation nooks, plus a porch and deck from which you become part of the gardens and pathways to the lake.

Painted on the wall in fireplace room:  “You, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual household, a dwelling place for God by His Spirit.”

“Homes today get locked up and churches get locked down, but The Blessing House is always open,” said Gail.  “People come from all walks of life, and I’ve never had anything stolen.”

“There is no fear here,” she said.  “God brings people here, people He wants to bless.  And you’re a stranger only until you walk in the door. People’s lives today are often void of beauty and comfort and harmony.  They find those things at The Blessing House.”

Bob and Gail Berger were married in 1965.  He died in 1993.  This professional photograph was taken in 1979.  Their sons are (top to bottom) Kyle, Ryan, and Tyson. 

In 1996, Gail married Jerry Stangret of Waconia.  This is the Berger-Stangret family on the day of their wedding.

This photo of Gail and her grandchildren was taken in 2005.  L-r:  Sam, Ally, Makenna, Cameron, Adam, Ben, Ghage.

Gail and a painting of herself by Jayne Bodahl, a Waconia artist.

In her private quarters at The Blessing House, Gail keeps the Bible that she had meticulously cross-referenced nearly three decades ago.  Filled with her personal notes and handwritten letters, the binding is loose and the cover falls apart.  She holds that Bible and two other books, tattered and torn from similar use, as through they are a holy trinity.

The Garden Shed, just a few yards from her private patio, speaks to the large task of the gardener and the grounds at The Blessing House.  Gail learned she can’t do it all alone.

Her private patio is just outside her bedroom window.

The large backyard is landscaped and adorned for guests and friends and also family.

The Blessing House property, which encompasses four acres, is located on the west shore of Lake Wassermann.

The Children’s Room downstairs has vintage toys and playthings from the days of her children and grandchildren.

Next to the Children’s Room, with an open window between them, is a diner.  “Parents like to keep an eye on their children,” said Gail.

Conversation nooks are everywhere in The Blessing House.  Hardly any of the chairs match, including those at the long dining table upstairs.

Another much used room is the Library.  Video equipment and display boards are nestled among the expansive array of books, all conducive to giving classes and presentations to intimate audiences.

The Blessing Houses advertises that it offers classes to “nurture spirit and soul.”

“I use these rooms as another opportunity to display the art I love,” said Gail.

Gail’s final remark at the end of our conversation and tour that warm September morning together at The Blessing House:

“You can’t out-give God.”  Thank you, Gail, for your hospitality.