Josef Mässrur

Who was Josef Mässrur?

Josef Mässrur [ 1 ] was a Christian Persian missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the Mission Union of Sweden.

Josef was born in Tehran, Persia, of Persian parents. He studied medicine and French from a French doctor in Tehran. Afterwards he set up an independent practice.

While he was practising as a doctor a Lutheran Swedish missionary gave him a New Testament, and Josef made the decision to give his life to Jesus. He was baptised and took the name Josef.

In 1894 he joined the Mission Union of Sweden, and went to Xinjiangwith Anna Nystrom to operate within the Covenant Church Östturkestanmission.

On 5 May 1895, after arriving in Kashgar, he married Anna Nyström, whom he had met in Persia. They then worked in Yarkand,where they founded the Mission League's mission station. They built an hospital. Joseph Mässror trained to be a dentist.

In 1900 they travelled home to Sweden and Persia. In 1901 they went to Persia, an area where the Swedish Mission Covenant really had no mission. They were not officially missionaries of the Swedish Missionary Society, but Anna had a small contribution until 1908, when it was withdrawn.