We have really been enjoying adjusting to life here in Italy. Right now, we feel like everyone is ministering to us instead of us ministering to them. We are so dependent. Most of what we’ve been doing has been related to daily survival (food, water, shelter, laundry…), fellowship with the believers (Sunday worship, children’s church, weekly Bible studies, prayer meeting—mostly listening, observing, and attempting communication), and legal “stuff.”
For those of you interested in long, boring legal explanations, here’s some info on our paperwork situation. 🙂
Since the kids and I (Stephanie) are Italian citizens, we were able to take care of some of the paperwork while we were in the States. However, we have still had legal paperwork to do regarding residency.
Codice Fiscale
First, we each needed a codice fiscale (sort of like an American SSN) in order to buy major things (such as a car) and turn on utilities in our name. This necessitated a trip to a government office in Perugia (about 30 minutes away). It took only a few hours to get this done for both Tom and me (we will deal with the kids’ numbers later), with the help of 
Frank DiBagno (and Sherry—watching the kids for us!). They gave us the “number” on a signed paper and told us that official cards would be mailed to us in 20 days. They arrived 11 days later instead. 🙂
Certificato di Residenza
This document is also necessary in order for us to buy/register/plate a car. In order for me to get this document, we have to have my codice fiscale, my citizenship paperwork, and my contract on long-term housing that has been registered with the police department. Currently, the long-term contract being registered with the police department is the hold-up here (as far as we know).
Estratto di Matrimonio
This is our miracle document. Over 3.5 years ago we registered our marriage in Alvito, Italy (my dad’s hometown–several hours away from where we are now). We spent about a 1.5 years trying to get the document showing the registration from the Comune in Alvito, but we never received a single response from them. Finally, I asked my dad to call the Comune and ask what I needed to do (or pay) to get the document–it was necessary for Tom’s Italian citizenship meeting with the consulate in Miami in June, 2013. The day my dad called, I received the document by email (as a response to one of the many unanswered emails that I had sent…which they had apparently saved). Wow–huge answer to prayer.
We need this document now to get Tom’s residency in Italy (the Italian government could wait over a year more to decide whether they will give him Italian citizenship).
Last week we were informed that this document “expires” 6 months after it’s issued (because we may no longer be married). 😉 HA!
We knew that we could not wait 1.5 years to receive the document this time because Tom only has about 2 months left to be legally in the country if he doesn’t receive his certificato di residenza (certificate of residence). I emailed the Comune in Alvito–actually, I emailed the lady who sent us the document 2 years ago–and requested the updated estratto di matrimonio. I also called my dad and asked him to call that lady as soon as possible…since I REALLY doubted a response to my email.
God worked a miracle, and before my dad even got a chance to talk to the lady (he called, but she wasn’t available), she had emailed the document to me!
What we have left to do (in this order):
- Our landlady needs to register our apartment contract with the police department (2/16).
- I need to bring the apartment contract, my codice fiscale, and my other Italian paperwork to the Comune in Deruta on Tuesday (2/17). They OUGHT to give me my certificato di residenza.
- We (I think the DiBagnos have been “conned” into this.) 😉 need to call the questura in Perugia and set up an appointment for Tom. We pray that the appointment is soon (within the 2 months he has left to stay legally in Italy without his certificato di residenza). He is to show his paperwork, our estratto di matrimonio, my certificato di residenza, and my citizenship document. Supposedly, there will be no question. He is to automatically receive his permesso di soggiorno (permission to stay here) and his certificato di residenza.
Really, God has been very kind in all of our legal/paperwork dealings (He always is). There have been some funny “hiccups” along the way, but we are making progress, and it seems like we’re almost done.
Thank you for praying. God is listening.
*As an interesting cultural note, Italian women keep their father’s last name when they get married. So, all of my Italian paperwork is in the name “Capoccia” while all of my American paperwork is in the name “Boehm.” Whenever Italian officials ask for a document that I don’t have in Italian form yet, I give them the American form, and we have to deal with the different last name situation…good thing we have that marriage certificate and estratto di matrimonio. 😉