Bowe Bergdahl - 2 years into captivity (and Gilad Shalit)....

Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, age 25, was captured by Hamas Militants on June 25, 2006. He was held in captivity for 5 years until his release on October 18, 2011. 

Gilad Shalit - pray that he
recovers from this ordeal

In exchange for his release, the Government of Israel negotiated the immediate release of 477 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, with the release of another 550 more Palestinian political prisoners to be freed within two months. 

Some of these released prisoners are Palestinians who bombed and killed innocent civilians in pizza restaurants or on public buses in Israel. 

But...the Government of Israel decided that Gilad Shalit had suffered enough and wanted him to come home to his family. 

Gilad Shalit, upon his release, looked painfully thin, ashen and shaken. 

Thank God he lived through this five year ordeal.  

Bowe Bergdahl - pray for
his release from captivity.

But what has happened to Bowe Bergdahl?

He is an American Soldier, also 25 years old, who has been held in captivity by the Taliban in Afghanistan, for over 2 years. 

He appears in videos and images to be drawn, ashen and bruised and beaten.  He has been threatened with death and has converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name, Abdullah. 

In order to achieve Bowe's release, the Taliban has demanded $1 million and the release of 21 Afghan prisoners and some high profile prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay.

What is the stance of the U.S. government in its negotiations to free Bowe Bergdahl? 

Will the U.S. government compromise at some level, as did the government of Israel, to achieve the freedom of this man? 

Let us pray that Bowe is freed and can return to his loved ones. 

God help us all.