Paavo Ruotsalainen

Paavo Ruotsalainen (9 July 1777 – 27 January 1852) was a Finnish farmer and lay preacher.

Born in Tölvänniemi (now a part of Lapinlahti) as the oldest son of plain farmers, he received his first bible at age six. At the time of his confirmation he had already read it three times. His preoccupation with the words of the bible gained him the nickname foolish Paavo. When he heard about the lay pastor Jakob Högman in Jyväskylä, he immediately walked the 200 km to Jyväskylä. This visit laid the foundation of his religious life.